At Last
by fuzzi fox
Summary: Finally, Luna receives the news her and Noctis have been chasing for months. She's pregnant. Lunafreya/Noctis Ignis/Aranea
1. A Piece of Paper

Hey guys, another slice of life story. This is on the same timeline as Piece of Tenebrae, and can be considered a companion piece. I hope you enjoy! I figured Mother's Day was an appropriate day to post the first chapter of this.

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She held the paper, hardly daring to believe it; the sheet shaking with the tremor in her hands. _Pregnant._ After nineteen damnable months of trying, being told by doctors time and time again that there was nothing wrong with her or Noctis, negative test after negative test. She was pregnant. She had sent for a doctor to be summoned to the Citadel after she had missed a month of her cycle, and a home test had come out positive. She was afraid to hope, that it was false. She had withheld the results of that first home test from Noctis for fear it would merely break their hearts with empty hope. But not this time. This test wasn't a false-positive. Tears brimmed in her burning eyes, a sob breaking through her attempts to swallow back the burning in her throat. She whispered a small prayer of thanks to the Six, a hand clamped over her mouth to muffle another sob and her shoulders began to shake as she wept. The Six hadn't taken this from them. Of everything the covenants cost them; a family wasn't one of them.

She forced herself to stand, not able to withhold the news from Noctis any longer. She looked up to the doctor who had handed her the sheet after doubting the verbal confirmation of her state, and thanked her before departing. She expected Noctis would be in his study and made her way through the Citadel halls trying to ignore the increasingly strong burning in her legs that was threatening to turn into a tremor before she reached him. She took a moment before the door to catch her breath and reassure herself that she wouldn't simply fall into the room; a palm rested against the wall to support herself as she panted for breath. She didn't want to give Noctis this news with her face flushed, legs trembling, where he would be too preoccupied with her sorry state to absorb the news. After several minutes of impatiently urging her body to finish recovering she pushed the door open. She stepped inside and Noctis stopping conversing with Ignis as he peered over at the door.

"Everything alright?" he asked, brow furrowed. She supposed it was uncommon for her to enter his study spontaneously. Usually at this time of day she was in their gardens, more often than not in the partitioned sylleblossum room he had worked so tirelessly to build and maintain for her.

"Ignis, may we have a moment?" She requested. The pair furrowed their brows, "I assure you, I am quite all right; didn't intend to sound so ominous." She added, realizing how vague her words sounded. Ignis made a gesture with his hand and a shrug, looking towards Noctis,

"I shall give you and the Lady a moment, would do me well to stretch my legs anyway." He picked up his cane and walked towards the door, giving a polite nod in her direction as he passed,

"Iggy for the thousandth time, please, call me _Luna._ " She used his nickname to punctuate her point, and he gave her a smirk before repeating the requested nickname and departed the room. With the door shut she closed the space between her and her husband, nearly running to him, and held the piece of paper out before he could ask anything. He lifted a brow at her, reaching out for the paper. His eyes flicked to the contents and widened. The paper shook as his hands began to tremble, eyes glazing over.

"L-Luna… is… is this… real?" he looked up, stuttering his words, chest heaving with quick breaths. She nodded at him,

"I'm finally pregnant," her voice failed, the words coming out in a whisper. Noctis reached out, trembling hands gripping her hips to pull her closer, nearly causing her to stumble. She braced her hands on his shoulders to keep herself upright, her beloved wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his face against her stomach; and wept. His fingers curled into the fabric of her dress, pulling her even closer, mumbling her name against the cloth, shoulders shaking. She leaned over him, resting her cheek against his hair, her own hands grasping at his shirt, another wave of tears burning her eyes.

"I love you…" he mumbled. "Oh Gods I love you…"

"I love you…" She answered him. They remained embraced; weeping shifting to laugher, fingers desperately gripping cloth. They eventually pulled apart, and Noctis held her hands in his own, squeezing them.

"We gotta tell my dad! But he's in Hammerhead for the weekend… and I don't want to tell him over the phone. We'll have to tell him when he gets back. I should tell Iggy I'm done working for the day, we need to celebrate! And I'll also have to tell the guys" he declared, speaking quickly hardly pausing between words. "First off, I'm framing this," he let go of her to pick up the piece of paper that had fallen off his lap. He opened a drawer to his desk, placing it inside. He stood, gripping her hand in one of his own, the other thumbing his phone to text Ignis, asking where he was. He had heard many times it was bad luck to share news of a pregnancy so early, but how was he supposed to hold this to himself? He knew Ignis would likely laugh and chide him for believing in ancient superstitions. Noctis himself had been the first person Ignis called when he was given the news of Aranea's pregnancy, now seven months along. Ignis answered that he was merely in the hallway and would be back shortly.

"I thought you wanted to stretch your legs?"

"A walk in the hall is adequate for me. Lunafreya rarely takes much of your time when you're busy with royal tasks." Ignis answered, making his way back to his usual seat. "What has you both so excited? I can hear your leg bouncing so fast you're shaking your desk, and my Lady you're practically knitting a sweater with your fingers."

"There's a bit of news we wish to share with you," the Queen was the first to find her voice and ceased wringing her fingers to squeeze Noctis's shoulder, urging him to be the one to tell his best friend this news.

"Luna's pregnant!" he blurted, unable to hesitate long enough to come up with something clever. The advisor's face lit up with a broad smile, scar tissue around his eyes pulling tight.

"My word! No wonder you two were practically vibrating, I believe congratulations are in order!" he clapped his hands together, getting to his feet. He stepped around the desk towards the royal couple, Lunafreya meeting him a few steps in and he embraced her tight, patting her roughly on the back, and felt the young woman's shoulders begin to shake, "I am so happy for you both." He drew back from their embrace, giving her shoulders a firm squeeze before she stepped aside to allow Noctis to walk up to his friend. They embraced, Ignis slapping Noctis roughly on the back as well, repeating his sentiments of congratulations.

"She's pregnant man…" Noctis repeated, and felt tears burning in his eyes. He sniffed to keep him from running his nose against Ignis's shirt, and his voice broke with a sob.

"I'm so happy for you both," Ignis let his friend cry against his shoulder for a few moments before he collected himself,

"Look at me… I'm a mess," he turned his sob into a laugh,

"I was no more composed myself when Aranea told me she was expecting. And don't worry, I promise not to tell the guys." He smirked, patting Noctis on the shoulder again. The trio chuckled,

"A future with a kid wasn't taken from us…" Noctis laughed, running his fingers through his hair, recalling his lamenting with Ignis he was concerned the Astrals had not only robbed Lunafreya of her strength, but had stolen their potential for a family. They had known they were the last Oracle and Crystal's King, but they weren't sure how literally the Astrals were to enforce that.

"With all you gave to Eos, this is the least they can allow you. Now. I do say, proper celebrations are in order. What say you we go to that lovely seafood restaurant in Lestallum you're so fond of?" Ignis addressed the question to the young woman.

"That sounds lovely. And invite Aranea, though don't tell her the news. She would be quite perturbed with me if she heard it from someone other than myself." Lunafreya suggested, picturing how angry her dear friend would be should she hear of her pregnancy from Ignis first. She had grown quite close to the dragoon during their travels, and lamented how long it had been since she had the chance to spend some time with her.

"Shall I extend the invitation to the invitation to Gladiolus and Prompto?" Ignis asked, but the King shook his head.

"They're both not around this week, remember? I wanna wait till they're back to tell them in person. "I promise I'll tell them as soon as they're back."

"Fair enough," Ignis asserted. "One moment," He sat back down in his chair, and dialed Aranea's number. "Hello 'Nea… would you like to join myself and our royals in Lestallum for dinner tonight?... Lunafreya was just lamenting how long it's been since she's seen you… wonderful! … Shall I send for a driver to come get you? … I figured as much. Want to start heading this way?... okay, see you soon my darling." Ignis snapped the flip-phone shut before placing it in his pocket. "Aranea shall meet us here in a short while, we don't live far from the Citadel, so the walk here shouldn't take terribly long." he explained to the royals.

"She wants to walk here seven months pregnant?!" Noctis asked, lifting a brow.

"She insists the exercise is good for her, and I learned a long time ago not to argue when she sets her mind to something. She'll call me should the walk prove overwhelming."

"Doesn't she always say she'll call you if she needs help then never does?"

"She's actually been a bit better about that since becoming pregnant. I suppose it's because I am worried not only about her. But point remains, she'll walk the short distance here."

"Now I'm even more excited, I haven't seen Aranea in far too long, I feel like a terrible friend." Lunafreya replied.

"I'm sure she fully understands, she did sound happy to see you again." Ignis tried to reassure her. She smiled at this news, excusing herself to shower before their outing.

"One moment," Noctis stopped her, and hugged her before giving her a quick kiss, leaving her flushed. She gave him a playful glare before squirming out of his arms and leaving the study. Noctis and Ignis attempted to spend the time waiting for Aranea returning to what they were working on prior to Lunafreya's news, but Nocits was unable to concentrate.

"I can't believe it Iggy… after all this time." Noctis stated, putting down his papers after a third failed attempt to read their contents.

"Shall we retire from tasks for the evening? We are making little progress." Ignis suggested, leaning back in the chair.

"Sorry." Noctis apologized, running his hands through his hair.

"That was not said with intention to chide you. You have every right to be distracted." he reassured his friend. "Our kids will be similar in age, at least they'll both have a playmate." Noctis smiled at the thought that his child would have a lifelong friend like he had, Ignis being tasked as his hand and his advisor when he himself was only four years old. "At least they'll be someone to keep your little hellion in line." Ignis teased,

"Hey they'll have mine _and_ Luna's D-N-A, at least they'll be _half_ behaved." Noctis joked back.

"Don't be so sure of that. Remember the stories Luna told us about her childhood."

"Oh Six you're right. We're doomed man. Doomed!" Noctis threw his hands up for good measure, and the two men shared a chuckle. He wondered who their child would resemble more, both in looks and in behavior. "If your kid ends up taking more after Aranea the two together will have the Citadel staff fleeing in droves."

"I should draft up the apology letters ahead of time."

"Apology gift baskets more like it." Lunafreya returned to the study then, drawing the two men's attention. She was wearing a pair of black dress pants, and a grey sweatshirt over a pale blue tee. It was somewhat unusual to see her wearing such casual attire, as she didn't opt for it often. The sight brought a smile to Noctis's face.

"Rare to see you without a dress." he remarked lightly.

"I figured this was a bit more… subdued. Would be easier to pass through Lestallum without garnering attention this way." she explained. Noctis let his eyes wander over her, enjoying his family's color on her. The pants hugged her thighs showing off her shapely legs, but the less form-fitting sweater gave the attire a more comfortable appearance.

"Good idea." Noctis replied, flicking his eyes back up to meet hers, the flush on her face betraying how she had noticed his gazing. "I should go change myself" he suggested, and stood from his desk. "Iggy I'll be back shortly." he stated, and got a _go ahead_ gesture from Ignis and departed the room. Lunafreya sat down in the chair near the bookcase, tucking one ankle under the other from sheer habit.

"Would you like to change as well?" she asked the advisor. He chuckled at the suggestion and shook his head,

"I doubt it would have much point. Even my casual clothes don't look every casual." He answered her. He flinched slightly, and then pulled his phone from his pocket. He made a command to it, and a robotic voice read a message aloud,

 _Hey there sexy glasses, just got here. Taking a breather outside before I come up. Try not to miss me too hard._

"Umm… I should go greet her. Meet you back here?" he suggested, trying to sit a little straighter to compensate for the heat rising in his cheeks as he stuffed his phone back into his pocket, cursing himself for not stepping outside to have her message read to him.

"By all means. I'll try not to disappear in the meantime." she joked. He stood and departed from the room, Lunafreya listening to his footsteps retreat while she stood and pulled a book off the bookshelf to entertain herself while she waited for her companions. She started to read, one hand idly rubbing her flat stomach as she pictured herself sitting in a chair next to a small bed, reading a story to a miniature version of Noctis, a smile pulling at her cheeks, and hoped this future child would enjoy reading as much as her. She was a page shy of finishing her chapter in the book when Noctis appeared back in the study, sporting a casual outfit of black pants and a white tee with a hat to match. She smiled a bit at him and stood, meeting him halfway into the room and reaching up to link her hands behind his neck,

"Why, who is this scruffy young man come to woo a young woman?" she asked him, "Certainly not my regal King." she tisked playfully.

"Hey, I thought you liked this hat." He asked, defensive. She couldn't help but laugh a little, and reached up to lightly flick the rim of it,

"Why I never I said I _didn't_ like my scruffy young man." she answered him. She stood on her toes to place a light kiss on his lips, and settled back on her heels to enjoy his grin.

"To think, one day we'll kiss and it'll be accompanied by a loud _eww_ " Noctis joked. He couldn't remember his mother, and spoke rather about things he saw in movies or shows. He wondered for a moment if stuff like that actually happened. And realized how little he knew of what it was like for a child to have _both_ parents.

"Hmm… one day soon."


	2. Cider and Beer

**A bit on the short side, but nonetheless I hope you enjoy it.**

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 **Chapter 2**

The royals stood in the center of the King's study, warms wrapped tight around each other as they once again began to laugh at the news, Noctis pulling back from his Queen after several moments, leaving his hands resting on her shoulders. His cheeks hurt from smiling, and he could see her expression mirrored his own.

"Where's Specs" Noctis asked after a moment, furrowing his brow when he realized the man wasn't there.

"Oh he went downstairs to meet Aranea, she arrived shortly after you went to get changed."

"That was fast,"

"They only live about a half-mile from the Citadel." She explained. He shrugged, sitting down at his desk while Lunafreya returned to her seat near the bookcase to wait for the aforementioned pair to return to the study. They weren't to wait for long. Aranea pushed through the door without Ignis's usual knock, hands on her hips.

"Well if it isn't the Oracle!" she announced, smiling at her friend. "How the hell are you?" she asked and walked towards the blonde woman to meet her halfway across the room and the women embraced, wearing matching smiles.

"Been too long," Lunafreya answered. "I have news,"

"I can tell you're itching to tell me," Aranea replied, kinking the corner of her mouth as she tilted her head slightly.

"I'm finally pregnant!" she answered without preamble. Aranea's eyes widened, and she gave a sharp laugh,

"About time!" she grabbed Lunafreya again, hugging her tight, both women leaning awkwardly due to Aranea's protruding belly. "I'm so happy for you, 'grats! Well this explains the sudden dinner invitation. These two have _no_ idea what they've gotten themselves into." she tilted her head towards the other two in the room. "And you're in _pants_?! What is this blasphemy? Shouldn't the Oracle always be in something white and feminine?"

"The Six will likely strike me down," she joked. "But figured that this was a bit more low-key to go to Lestallum." Healing her people always brought her great joy, but she wanted to spend this night with Noctis and her friends celebrating this long-awaited event.

"Man it'll be odd seeing your skinny butt with a big belly like this."

"It'll be adorable." Noctis interrupted their banter, Aranea laughed and voiced her agreement.

"Normally in a situation like this I'd suggest a drink" she sighed lolling her head back, "man I miss beer." Lunafreya chuckled, giving her friend a lopsided smile,

"Almost there."

"All the more reason I want a drink. Ignis here is already a handful, what am I gonna do with a mini-him running around the house?" The pair heard a sharp exhale and Lunafreya couldn't help the short giggle.

"Maybe we should get going before these two really get started?" Noctis suggested. "When they gang up on us I think I'd rather face a Behemoth." The group agreed it was time to depart, arguing on the walk to the front of the Citadel over which would lead to more troublesome children: taking after their mother or their father. They quickly concluded that taking after Noctis or Aranea would leave half of Lucis in ruins. Once outside one of the Crownsguard brought the Regalia II to the front. Noctis felt like he was arguing with Gladiolus with how long it took to convince the guard that he did not need a tail, but they were able to make it onto the road.

"Noct I see you're as terrible a driver as always." Aranea complained as he took the turn from the Citadel gates too tight, forcing the occupants of the car to be shifted uncomfortably.

"Hey! I'm a fine driver…" he mumbled, "just been a while."

"There's a reason I was always the one to drive during our travels." Ignis echoed,

"I'm sorry Noct, but I'm afraid I'm with Aranea on this one."

"Oof!" Aranea complained, a hand fluttering over the top of her distented abdomen, "Yeah, see? The little alien agrees!"

"I truly wish you would stop calling him that." Ignis complained with a sigh, lolling his head back in the seat, gripping the bar at the top of the rear driver's door.

"What? It _is_ a little alien. I suppose I could call him the symbiote."

"That's not better."

"You seeing your future yet Luna?" Aranea laughed, reaching over the gap of the middle seat to gently punch Ignis's arm,

"The power of foresight has been gifted to me. Noctis may want to flee." She chuckled.

"Oh just wait until the barfing starts. Because if you're anything like me, you're going to barf. A lot. And constantly. Now though all I want to do is eat everything in sight." Aranea rolled her eyes, "speaking of. I hope this place has fried pickes. Man I'd kill for those."

"Cravings?" Lunafreya inquired, and couldn't help but ponder what strange thing she would end up driving Noctis insane with her desire for.

"I've always been a little obsessed with fried pickles. Or deep fried anything. Now that I think of it, how am I not massive?" Aranea paused, biting the corner of her lip and looking down, "Okay I _am_ massive, but you know what I mean."

"You look as lovely as ever my darling." Ignis chimed from the front seat. "And before you interject, I am not saying that merely to appease you."

"I'm sure I'm a sexy beast stomping around the house bumping into furniture." She replied, and Ignis chuckled.

"I wasn't being sarcastic or offering empty platitudes for the sake of flattery." He assured her. He was used to her self-depreciating attitude as of late, but had no intention of ceasing to try and reassure her that he still found her as attractive as ever. "Though you must admit, your fondness for deep-fried food has grown a bit beyond your usual preference. I feel like though you are not using my culinary skills to their fullest potential."

"What on earth are you talking about? Your spicy deep fried tofu is the most addictive food I have ever put in my mouth!" Aranea retorted. She lolled her head against the window and sighed, "Now I'm just making myself hungrier. Then again, I'm always hungry right now." She knit her brows, mouth kinked with her lips in a thin line. Ignis wanted to point out that he quite enjoyed cooking for her more frequently, but bit his lip to keep the thought to himself.

"That's pan-fried," he replied instead.

"It's covered in a batter-like substance then cooked with oil. That's deep fried in my book."

"I… But…" Ignis stammered, not sure where to begin to tackle that statement. Aranea burst into laughter, and lightly punched him on the arm again,

"You're way too easy to rile up. I'm kidding. I know it's just pan-fried. But it's still just as delicious as anything that pops out of a deep frier. All crunchy on the outside… Gods-damnit. How far is Lestallum? I'm driving myself insane." She paused, looking down at her stomach, "you realize little alien that you make me constantly hungry, right? Hope you're ready for this Luna."

"Really selling us on how beautiful pregnancy is Aranea." Noctis quipped, smirking as he turned his head to grin at Lunafreya, who was trying to muffle a giggle behind her hand.

"Well," Aranea began, pausing to lift a finger in the air and press her other fingers over the center of her chest, "our dearest Lady Lunafreya is a _bit_ more refined than this unrefined commoner, I do believe she will waltz through pregnancy with the grace of a goddess."

"Are you mocking me?" Ignis and Lunafreya asked simultaneously, the latter turning in her seat to glare at her friend.

"Never!" Aranea gasped, pouting her lip and holding her palm over her heart. Noctis was laughing in the front seat.

"You would _never_ do such a thing 'Nea." Ignis remarked. The sudden silence in the car was palpable, Aranea squinting at him, Lunafreya turning about in her seat again to stare at Ignis with wide eyes and a lifted brow, Noctis staring up into the rearview mirror like he expected a brawl to break out in the backseat. "Oh come _on_. It is not _that_ rare an occasion I use sarcasm. I merely prefer… wittier forms of communication most often." He insisted, crossing his arms in front of his chest in response to the quiet that greeted his joke. They continued to joke and tease during the ride to Lestallum, and Noctis was pleasantly surprised to catch a good parking spot a brief walk from the restaurant, pulling up when he saw someone vacate the spot.

"Man, you may suck at driving but you're a master at the art of parking." Aranea commented to Noctis. She groaned as she stood from the low vehicle, ignoring the hand Ignis was offering her. "I got it I got it." She assured him. He shrugged at her, shifting his weight back and stepping away to allow her more room. On the other side of the car Lunafreya was helped up by Noctis, if only to humor him.

"Fine, you want to drive the car back?" Noctis asked,

"Ha! Hell no, but doesn't mean I can't tell you the truth. Tell him specs." Aranea nodded at Noctis. Ignis stood beside her, shaking his head. "Well, like I said when we got in the car, I'm starved and the little alien agrees. Let's get inside."

"Now you're calling him that on purpose." Ignis sighed, and Aranea laughed in response.

"Are we seeing our future?" Lunafreya asked quietly, giving Noctis a sideways glance.

"Naw, you're far too adorable."

"You say that _now._ " She laughed and reached for his hand, pulling him so they could catch up to their friends.

"You don't think I'll find you _more_ adorable waddling around like that?" Noctis asked, nodding towards Aranea.

"I'm not waddling!" she shouted without turning to face Noctis. The pair chuckled, Ignis assuring her that her footsteps certainly didn't sound like she waddled. Noctis found himself picturing Lunafreya with a swollen belly, hands wrapped around it, waddling next to him as they walked together. He smiled at the thought and reached out for her hand, giving a tight squeeze. She looked up at him with a smile, gripping him back until they reached the restaurant. They were seated without a wait having arrived an hour after the dinner rush, and they appreciated the relative calm of the happenstance downtime.

"Man I miss certain types of fish." Aranea lamented. "Oh, Luna, you poor thing." She looked up, knitting her brows and pursing her lips in a smile. "What on earth are you going to eat for the next nine months?"

"I'm quite certain I can make do with the safe fish to eat." She reassured her. During their desperate months of trying Lunafreya had read countless books, journals, magazines, and other paraphernalia on pregnancy and had familiarized herself with what was safe to eat or not eat. Unfortunately for her, many of her favorite foods were a no-go.

"You say that now, but trust me. Roll outta bed, "man I want eggs. Oh… no runny eggs. Hmm okay toast n' coffee, oh. No coffee. I'm just gonna sit pretty… well, sit fat… and watch Ignis drink Ebony."

"Oh Six I didn't think of that one." Lunafreya chuckled, then paused. "Oh. And I can't drink herbal teas either, can I. Hmm… guess it's lots of black tea for me." She paused, "Or… little bits. Right?"

"You got it. Watch out Noct, she's gonna be puking, tired, and can't even have her usual tea or coffee in the morning. Swollen feet, runny nose…"

"Truly describing the honor of pregnancy with the grace only told of in books." Ignis commented.

"Oh yeah you married me just for my way with words. Not all of us are as eloquent as you sexy glasses." She winked at him needlessly. The waitress returned with the drinks they had ordered upon being seated. Sparking cider for the pregnant pair, and beer for their partners. "Here's to about damned time," Aranea was the first one to raise her glass,

"To about damn time," Lunafreya nodded, and chuckled at the expressions on those around her. "What?"

"To about damn time" Noctis and ignis cheered her, ignoring her question. Noctis simply chuckled, finding hearing Lunafreya use strong language about as amusing as hearing a small child cursing. They tapped glasses and drank, settling back into their chairs.


	3. Sharing the News

By the time they got home, Lunafreya and Noctis were tired from their evening out. After dinner they had walked around Lestallum upon Aranea's insistence, stating that her feet felt too numb when she simply sat around all day. They retired to bed upon returning to the Citadel, Noctis promising Ignis he would catch up on missed work over the subsequent days. The advisor had sighed, and accepted that convincing the King otherwise was a fruitless endeavor and simply walked home with Aranea. It had led to him working deep into the night, but Noctis had indeed lived up to his promise on the following day.

The rest of the weekend seemed to crawl, both royals anxious to share the news with his father and the rest of their friends. Noctis had inherited the throne when Regis abdicated his rule to his son upon the conclusion of their journey to purge the blight. The pressure surrounding him to produce an heir of his own had only made him and Lunafreya more anxious to start their family; and Ignis had been taking great effort into hiding certain newspaper and tabloid articles from the pair.

"Ah, Noctis, Luna. It's been far too long since we all sat together." Regis smiled when the pair entered the den where Regis was waiting for them. Though the word _mancave_ may have been more appropriate. Two old arcade machines flanked the old fireplace, and the bookshelf appeared to only be half-filled with books, the rest of the space dedicated to comics and figurines. The shelf above the hearth had more figurines and a pair of pewter model cards. The coffee table between the two couches also bore an open box and pieces of a model Regis appeared to be in the process of putting together. The site was bizarre, and Noctis wasn't sure he could ever adjust himself to the idea of his father having _hobbies_. It was clear Regis was enjoying his retirement.

"Hey dad," Noctis smiled, sitting down on a couch next to Lunafreya.

"Good evening Regis." Lunafreya nodded to him.

"How are the two of you?" Regis removed the pair of glasses he was wearing, idly adjusting the small screwdriver and piece of pewter he had been working with.

"Good, great. Uh how was Hammerhead?" Noctis asked, trying to be polite and make conversation before sharing their news. Regis talked briefly about the trip, but he could see Lunafreya kneading her fingers, and Noctis was bouncing his leg in his seat. "What's on your mind?" he eventually asked when he realized that they likely had no interest in hearing about Cid's latest upgrade to the Regalia II.

"Callin' you my old man is pretty appropriate now, you're gonna be a grandfather." Noctis blurted. Regis's eyebrows shot up, eyes widening.

"Does this mean… Lunafreya, are you expecting?" Unable to find her voice she nodded, loose blonde bangs shaking with the movement of her head. She let out a small laugh, knitting her fingers together to cease her nervous movements. Regis looked from her to his son for a moment before he stood, clapping his hands together as he let out a barking laugh. Noctis couldn't recall a time he had ever heard his father laugh like that, or recall a smile so big. The man moved around the coffee table, pulling Lunafreya up from her seat to draw her into a fierce embrace, patting her back firmly. He knew how long they had desired a family, long before the pressure of their station led to outside influence.

"Thank you." She chuckled, feeling her cheeks heat up. Regis let her go and repeated the gesture with Noctis, gripping the young man's shoulders, feeling his eyes begin to burn, knowing the blur in his vision had nothing to do with removing his glasses.

"I am so happy for you both."

"We found out over the weekend, but we didn't want to tell you over the phone so we waited 'till you got back from Hammerhead." Noctis explained.

"This is certainly news I would want to hear from the two of you in person." He replied. He blinked back the tears that threatened to roll down his cheeks, sniffling hard.

"Finally…" Noctis added after a few seconds of quiet.

"I know this is something that you both have wanted for so long." They had kept it mostly to themselves, but he was no fool. Noctis may not have confided in him often, but unfortunately rumors spread through the Citadel fast. The visits to doctors, the way the pair would talk about a family, the reaction Lunafreya had when she had found a scathing newspaper article pondering if she was the infertile Queen to doom the Lucian line. He had tried to put a stop to the crueler rumors that mused if Lunafreya even had the strength to perform her _wifely duties_ , or other inappropriate questions. He was ashamed to admit he himself had feared the couple would be denied their chance at a family.

"It just took some time." Her voice was quiet and she avoided his eyes, a very odd behavior for the young woman, and the insecurity of the statement was evident.

"The best things always do." Regis answered her. He wondered what Auela would say to her, she had always been the one who knew best how to make people smile, and would likely have chased that hesitation right out of his daughter-in-law. Thinking of Aulea make him recall how he had felt when she had come bursting into his office, ignoring the half-dozen dignitaries he was meeting with to nearly tackle him out of his chair and proudly announce he was going to be a father. He smiled as he wondered how Lunafreya broke the news to Noctis, but dared not ask such a personal question. "You've always made my son far happier than anything else could, only makes sense you would give him the family he's always wanted." He continued.

"Eventually you can build these models with a lil' brat asking fifty questions." Noctis smirked.

"My _old man_ eyes could use a little helper."

"Getting cataracts already? Tisk tisk." Noctis sighed, shaking his head.

"Easy now." He settled back into his couch, tapping his foot causing his leg's brace to creak, hand kneading his knee. Lunafreya stepped towards him, offering to help ease the discomfort in his leg but he was quick to turn down her offer. "I'm quite all right my dear. You focus on yourself now." He insisted. Which brought him pause; he knew how exhausted she always was when she returned from her visits to heal her people, and realized that it certainly would not do her well in her newfound state. He didn't want to disrupt their elation with this concern, and would mull over it to discuss with Noctis later. He hugged the pair a final time before replacing his reading glasses and resuming his work on one of his models.

* * *

 _Hey. Get your asses to the Citadel so we can stuff our fat faces._ Noctis's eloquent text stated in triplicate to Gladiolus, Ignis, and Prompto. Lunafreya had sent a more modestly worded text to her shield Crowe inviting her as well. Noctis had nearly told his friends over the phone multiple times, stopped by Lunafreya pulling his cell from his hands; insisting that like his father, this is news they would want to hear in person. _Besides_ she had tried to insist, _imagine how Ignis would react to you sharing something so personal in such an impersonal manner._ He shuddered at the thought of the subsequent lecture and he had ceased his desire to blurt things out via phone.

Ignis was the first to arrive, and Lunafreya was pleasantly surprised to find Aranea had tagged along, saying she couldn't miss seeing the looks on everyone's faces when they shared the news with Gladiolus with Prompto, even placing a twenty-five gil bet that Prompto would faint. Gladiolus was next, surprising the others with how clean he was.

"Aren't you normally pummeling the new recruits on Mondays?" Noctis inquired when he looked almost _groomed._ Hell, the guy was even wearing a proper shirt.

"Long week, took a day off. I think the recruits are weeping with joy." He chuckled. "But doesn't mean I haven't worked up on appetite. Where's the microwave?" He held up a package of cup noodle, shaking the contents.

"Where were you keeping that?!" Aranea asked. Noctis thumbed in the direction of where the microwave was, Gladiolus tearing off the lid filling it with water from the tap before shoving it into the device to cook, leaning back against the counter with his arms crossed.

"So what's the occasion? Just missed my pretty face? Or looking for an ass beating. Getting kinda' flabby in your Kingly state, we should fix that." Noctis faltered, opening his mouth a few times while he knit his brow, looking down at his stomach and pinching at the skin,

"Flabby?!"

"You are my handsome King, pay him no mind." Lunafreya insisted.

"Didn't answer my question. Have I really grown flabby?"

"You look _fine_. Honestly. You should know him by now." She sighed, reaching out to ruffle his air. He gave her a lopsided smirk and shrugged, reaching up to grasp her wrist and pull her hand away that was still fussing with his hair,

"You always complain I look scruffy for a King. Wonder _why_ my hair is so scruffy?" He asked, but merely got a smirk in reply. "Where's Prompto?" He switched subjects, checking his phone. "He had said he was on his way nearly an hour ago, I know he lives downtown but it shouldn't have taken him _this_ long to get here."

"Probably saw an interesting looking light pole and needed to do a photoshoot." Gladiolus offered. "He'll probably make it through all the interesting sights in a week or two." The microwaved beeped to announce that his food was done, the broad man pulling it out and joining the others at a barstool before an island counter. "Hey where can I get a fork?" He fetched one from the mentioned location, sitting back down and began to slurp his noodles.

"Man if I see one more cup noodle I might barf." Noctis commented.

"I'll admit to enjoying a cup of salt and death once in a while." Lunafreya countered. "Quite fond of the shrimp flavor."

"See, she knows what's up."

"I swear I can _smell_ you going into the first stages of renal failure." Ignis commented.

"Awe, am I offending your delicate chef's sensibilities?" Gladiolus asked through a mouth full of noodles.

"You're just miserable because you don't get to eat the best food in all of Eos daily." Aranea chimed in, and the blush that overtook Ignis's cheeks didn't go missed by his friends. Lunafreya found it quite endearing when the pair exchanged affections rather than Aranea's usual teasing.

"I dunno, hard to top cup noodle." Gladiolus insisted. Ignis sighed, not ready to repeat an old argument they had many times. "Speaking of best in all of Eos, the best Shield is here, where's second best?" he inquired.

"She was visiting Monica when I sent her a text, she should be here…" she paused to look at the time on her phone, "in about an hour."

"Man I don't think I'll ever get used to hearing you say words like _text_." He replied, pointing at her phone.

"I've had this for nearly two years now!" She answered defensively.

"I spent months on the road with you hardly looking at a cellphone, it'll never _not_ be weird."

"Gotta side with Gladio on this one dear, we communicated via _dogmail_ for twelve years. Seeing you use something like a phone is like seeing a cactuar driving a motorcycle." Lunafreya stuffed the phone back into her pocket, sticking her tongue out at Noctis rather than follow her impulse to give him a rude hand gesture.

"So you mentioned food in your text. What's up with that?"

"You're eating cup noodle then asking what's next to eat?" Ignis asked, sighing with a shake of his head.

"I'm a behemoth of muscle, I need a lot of food." He replied.

"Lentil and mushroom stew." Lunafreya answered. Gladiolus argued that a solid meal needed meat, but couldn't argue with a hearty bowl of stew. He found it odd to eat stew in the summer but who was he to argue with his Queen about the Citadel's dinner menu when he was getting a free meal. Prompto and Crowe arrived together, the latter having run into the blond man on her walk to the Citadel.

"Hey guys! Full house, what's the special occasion?" Prompto asked when he sat down with the others. "Finally decided to let me do that sexy calendar?"

"One of these days I swear I will slap that cheeky grin right off your face." Aranea quipped, placing her hands over her swollen abdomen.

"I wasn't being sarcastic! You look pretty adorable like that!" He put his hands up, and backed away several steps when Aranea got to her feet. "I mean it innocently, I swear."

"He's harmless 'Nea, careful before you give him a heart attack."

"Or make him _faint_?" she asked, eyes flicking up to meet Lunafreya's. "Didn't you have something you wanted to tell the guys?" she prompted, too antsy to wait any longer to see her tell everyone now that the last two of their party had finally arrived.

"What's up guys?" Prompto asked, bouncing on one of his legs. Lunafreya met Noctis's eyes, giving him a nudge and a nod to tell him that it was okay for him to be the one to break the news. He smiled back at her, the corners of his eyes tugging as he turned back to his friends.

"Luna's pregnant." He stated. Gladiolus coughed with a mouthful of noodles, Prompto slapped his palms against the counter, and Crowe let out a loud _Ha!_

"Well…" Gladiolus began in a hoarse voice, trying to finish clearing half-chewed noodles from his throad. "Guess your lil' guys _can_ swim afterall!" Aranea snorted in tune with Crowe's barking laugh. Prompto's camera clicked as he too began to laugh.

"Grats you guys! Guess Lucis is doomed afterall if a mini _you_ is going to be running around! Better hope Luna is the one with the stronger genes." Prompto laughed, reaching over to punch Noctis firmly on the arm. "Oh man you guys totally have to let me do a pregnancy shoot once Luna is huge! Aranea wouldn't let me, so you _have_ to!" he insisted.

"I'm not sure I can picture this skinny thing with a huge belly." Gladiolus remarked. Lunafreya flushed, mumbling quietly something about not being all _that_ thin.

"Anyways when she's out to here," Prompto gestured as far as his arms could reach, mimicking a distended belly, "and waddling around, you _gotta_ let me take pictures. You'll want them later!"

"That actually sounds like a good idea." Lunafreya turned to Noctis with her brows knit, lifting one. "I'd love a picture of my mother when she was pregnant… and I think my dad would too. You may cringe now but you'll want it later." He continued. She sighed, and gave a shrug.

"Taking that as a yes! Now get up, we'll need one of you all tiny for comparison so we can harass you even more later when we compare the before and after images!" It took some convincing but she got off her chair, all her friends insisting on giving her a large congratulatory hug, Prompto snapping pictures all the while until he got a sideways shot of her leaning back against Noctis with his hands wrapped around her pressed against her still flat stomach. "I'm gonna be an uncle! Right Noct?" He asked.

"Hell yeah. Unofficial aunts and uncles all around." He gestured at their friends.

* * *

I hope you liked my vision of how Regis would be if he was alive, and got to retire in peace. We'll have some Luna/Noctis fluff in coming chapters to compensate for the complete lack of it in this one. But I hope you some Regis, chocobros, and the ladies.


	4. Watching a Movie

Hey guys here's a little update, some minor fluff, a little banter. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

After two weeks of continuously reassuring Noctis that she felt quite fine he found her bent over the toilet in the master bathroom, heaving up what remained of her dinner. That week it only happened once. But by two weeks later, it was a routine occurrence. She could almost predict when it would happen ahead of time, and began to alter the time she ate her meals to avoid having a full stomach during the hours she was most likely to end up kneeling on the bathroom floor.

"I thought they called it _morning_ sickness," he admonished from the bed. He did feel bad that he wasn't doing something like holding back her hair or rubbing her back, but vomit got to him. He was more likely to end up vomiting on her himself if he had to be in the same room. But at the very least he could linger in the bedroom to ensure she was alright before he went to his study for the final meeting of the day with Ignis.

"Merely a moniker. This…" she paused, heaving, forcing Noctis to squint hard and swallow, knowing the scent in his nose was imaginary; he was sitting too far from the bathroom for it to be real. "This can happen at any time of day. Morning is simply more common."

"How'd you know that?"

"I have been known to pick up a book once in a while." Noctis chuckled at her sarcastic reply.

"Good point. Want me to go make you some-" he paused, trying to think of what she was allowed to have that could help settle her stomach. "err… fetch you a ginger ale? I made sure some was purchased."

"That and just a touch of boiled rice would be lovely. Usually helps quite a bit." She answered. He expected this answer, it had become their nightly routine for a week. Concerned that she would be losing weight rather than gaining it, she had attempted to compensate by eating larger more calorically dense meals at the start of the day since eating anything at the end was becoming a challenge.

"You okay if I go to the kitchen for a few?"

"I assure you I can survive-" another pause followed by sounds that threatened to make Noctis sick. "without you for a short time." He sighed at her sorry state and walked to the kitchens. He collected a couple cans of ginger ale and a glass, asking one of the chefs to make some boiled rice as requested. When Noctis got back to the bedroom he found Lunafreya lying on the bed with her book on her lap.

"How you feeling?" he asked, handing her the glass and a can, placing the others on her night stand.

"Better actually. Thank you." She opened the can and poured it into the glass, letting it sit for the foam to settle before sipping at it carefully. "If you need to meet up with Ignis that's quite all right." She offered, but he shook his head and crawled into bed beside her. He scooched over next to her, wrapping his arms around her waist taking caution not to touch her stomach in fear it would send her back to kneeling on the bathroom floor. The touch made her hum, idly reaching to run a finger through his hair. "Other than listening to me gross you out, how has the rest of your day been?"

"Better now that you feel better. I feel bad I can't really do much to help you when you're throwing up like that."

"Not much you _can_ do when I'm throwing up like that. Wouldn't help anyone to have you barfing into the sink next to me."

"A King should take proper care of his Queen, especially when carrying the heir to the Lucian throne." Noctis answered back with a thick mock accent, causing Lunafreya to giggle.

"He does _not_ say that, come now."

"Okay maybe not those _exact_ words." He rolled his eyes. "but still insists I should do more to help you."

"Do more? You walked across the Citadel to fetch me some soda and ask the cooks to make me some rice. What more does he expect? Whip up a cure for morning sickness?" she inquired. He carefully moved a hand so his palm rested over her stomach, finding himself yet again wondering what she would look like when she was as further along. "You know, now I must ask Aranea exactly what Ignis did for _her_ during her first trimester when she was as sick as this. Quite curious if Ignis lived up to his own expectations." But said phone was on her nightstand where she couldn't reach it without wiggling out of Noctis's embrace, and she had no intention of moving away from his arms when he had been preoccupied for much of the day. Noctis slipped his hand under the hem of her shirt, pushing it up so he could brush this thumb along her skin, smiling when he saw goosebumps roll down her arms.

"Why do you make your mother so sick little one?" he asked. He knew the technical answer, Ignis had made sure of that when he had asked this rhetorical question when said man was within earshot. In fact, Ignis was quick to offer advice and facts whenever the subject came up. He appreciated it, it made things less frightening to have more knowledge, but sometimes he wished he could merely complain for the sake of complaining. At least Ignis had kept any frightening facts to himself, the last thing he needed was to constantly run worst case scenarios through his mind after it had taken so long for her to become pregnant.

They had yet to make the announcement to all of Lucis, having decided to wait until they were clear of the first trimester should the worst happen. He couldn't wait to shut up all those tabloid and newspaper writers, and have them scrambling for some other scathing thing to say about the royal couple. A damn-near war had broken out between two newspaper outlets, one proclaiming the royal couple prudent for not filling the Citadel with children immediately, the other using less than polite ways to call them infertile, and insisting Insomnia was doomed. Gladiolus had suggested asking the latter paper to quit running their filth, but Noctis disagreed with this method.

"I asked the cook to have someone run the rice to you when it's done." He remarked after a few moments. "The ginger ale helping?" she had only taken a couple sips but nodded, thanking him again for fetching it for her.

"I may retire early tonight. I feel quite tired."

"I would too. You're gonna have a six-pack by the end of the month if this keeps out."

"My abdominal muscles certainly feel like they've been getting quite the workout." She answered, chuckling. "Aranea started calling me the vomiting-wonder after I threw up in a bush when she insisted on taking me out a few nights ago."

"Isn't she just the sweetest thing?"

"An absolute darling. A perfect match for our prim and proper Ignis." She answered. They both laughed, "Ah! Laughing hurts!" she complained, clutching at her aching stomach and the thought only made her laugh harder. "This is so pathetic!" Noctis laughed with her, eventually burying his face against her stomach, clinging to the fabric of her top.

"I love you," he mumbled, voice muffled. He lifted her shirt, placing a kiss above her navel. She couldn't help but giggle at the way his touch tickled, running her hand through his hair,

"I love you too? What's brought this on?" she chuckled as he nuzzled her with his nose.

"I need a reason to be affectionate?" he asked her, bending his neck so he could rest his chin on her while looking to meet her gaze, eyes crinkled in a smile.

"I'm sure I'm a bundle of beauty after retching for five solid minutes." She quipped. "Brushed me teeth about three times I swear I still smell aweful."

"You smell good." He countered immediately. "Man… ginger ale must taste weird after brushing your teeth. What next, gonna chug some OJ after brushing?" this comment made her brows knit,

"Get off!" She didn't give him enough time to pull away, kneeing his shoulder in her scramble of limbs to get off the bed, a hand clamped firmly over her mouth as she dashed back into the bathroom, a loud _thud_ audible from the bed with how she simply collapsed before the toilet and began to retch up her few sips of ginger ale. "Why did you say that!" she shouted between gagging sounds. "Oh Gods…" she shuddered at the thought of mint and orange combined, and wondered if she could ever drink orange juice again now.

"Sorry…" he mumbled, brows knit. "Didn't expect that reaction." He heard her wretch a few more times, "You okay?"

"Mostly dry heaving now." She called back. She waited a minute to ensure her stomach was done its mad evacuation before flushing the toilet, swishing her mouth with far too mouth mouthwash, and returned to the bed, crinkling her nose at the ginger ale. She would have to give it a few minutes before she could sip at it again.

"I'm sorry… didn't mean to make you puke."

"It wasn't entirely you. The nausea wasn't really completely gone."

"Can I make it up to you?"

"Hmm… what do you have in mind?" she asked. He smirked at her and she lifted a brow, "this a turn-on for you? Learning something new about my King every day it seems." She tapped a finger on her chin, lips twitching as she struggled to prevent a smile.

"I- what… no! I just-"

"I'm teasing!" she cut him off, laughing as she placed her palms on either side of his face. "Though this precise moment is not the best for… certain activities. My stomach is still a bit sensitive and I do believe one of the cooks will be coming into the bedroom shortly with that rice. I've had enough awkward moments to fill a lifetime." She rolled her eyes, and could almost picture Gladiolus making a surprise visit and agreeing to deliver the rice, catching them in a compromising position, if only so the astrals could sit on their asses and laugh. "Why don't you make it up to me by watching a movie with me? Surely Ignis can tie things up in a nice bow without you?" she asked with a slight smile.

"How can I say no to that face?"

"I wasn't trying to manipulate you."

"It's the baby influencing me already. I'm doomed, aren't I. Especially if it's a girl." He answered her. He pulled out his phone and dialed his advisor's number, and after a brief conversation was given the all clear for an evening of watching movies in bed with his Queen. "So, what will it be? Hormones gonna make you wanna watch all tear-jerky chick flicks?" he asked. She scrunched up her face and shook her head,

"Oh goodness no. Even being a crazy pregnant woman can't make me watch those. Is there a good science fiction movie, or perhaps a fantasy?" she inquired. Her movie tastes mirrored her taste in books, which Noctis was thankful for. It made it easier to select something they would both enjoy. While Noctis got up to check their collection on the bookshelf Lunafreya made another attempt at sipping her ginger ale, thankful that most of the bubbles had flattened.

"Oh, here. Haven't watched this one in a while." He held up a movie, calling it's title and she echoed with her agreement. He got everything set up before settling into the bed beside her, beckoning her to rest her head on his shoulder so he could wrap an arm around her. "Need to take advantage of being able to cuddle you like this while we still can."

"Before I turn into a walking beach-ball?"

"Exactly." She let out a short laugh, settling into his embrace and sighing as his fingers began to gently brush the skin on her arms. "Just don't barf on me."

"I promise not to _barf_ on you as long as you promise never to tell Ignis that I threw up after the dinner he made me." She offered, nuzzling against his chest.

"Or that you've slept even later than me lately?"

"You seem determined to make him hate me." She shot back, smiling a bit.

"It's okay eventually the barfing and oversleeping wear off and I can make fun of you instead for waddling, needing help to pick things up off the floor, waking me up at two in the morning for whatever random food you decide to torture me with until I make a declaration to ban it all across Eos." He tugged on her shoulder to pull her closer so he could kiss the crown of her head, "but you haven't driven me half-crazy yet so I still love you."

"Implying that you won't down the road?" She teased.

"Oh never. I'll just be crazy and probably _too_ insane to show you some proper affection."

"I may also be too hormonal to let you anywhere near me without bursting into tears." She smirked, tapping at his chest with her palm

"I'm not sure I can picture you being anything but your usual composed self. I'll have to have Prompto install hidden cameras." He paused to gasp loudly, slapping a hand around his mouth, "shit I gave up the jig! He's gonna _kill_ me!" Lunafreya laughed, pushing on him.

"I supposed that it's for the best, or else I may have attacked you in a hormone-induced rage."

"The Oracle? Be violent? Heresy! Blasphemy!" He declared, holding a finger high in the air. She snorted, shaking her head against his chest.

"I supposed you're right. I do love you a bit too much to harm a hair on your head, pregnancy-brain or not."

"Love you too. Crazy pregnant lady or not."


	5. Noodles

Another chapter up n running! Hope you enjoy.

* * *

The cool air of the sylleblossums room in her garden helped Lunafreya feel more comfortable as she settled into her chair with a cup of ginger tea to chase away her nausea, her dogs curled together near her feet. She had been feeling quite well for several days, but this day seemed to be making up for the lack of illness over the previous three. She placed a palm over her stomach, biting down on her bottom lip to keep herself from retching. Though she had taken to habit of keeping a basin with her at all times. A small chime caught her attention, and she shifted to reach for her phone.

 _Aranea: Hey there preggo. Having cravings yet? If Noctis hasnt kicked your crazy butt out of the Citadel yet Im invading. Dying for some of those tarts and ur the only one who knows how the hell to make em right._

Lunafreya chuckled, shaking her head at her phone as she slowly typed out her response,

 _Luna: Iggy kicking your crazy butt out? Come on over._

She was reluctant to admit she was feeling fatigued, but was looking forward to her friend's visit nonetheless. She wrinkled her nose at a wave of nausea, reaching to sip at her tea. She reminded herself that this wouldn't last, that it came in short bursts. Aranea had promised her that this wouldn't last for the entire pregnancy, and she only hoped her experience would mirror her friend's. She leaned back in her chair, looking down when Umbra whined and stood up with his paws,

"I'm alright," she smiled. She reached down when he whined again, groaning as she lifted him so he could rest on her lap. "Oof… you're getting heavy. Not running across the continent starting to catch up with you?" she ruffled his ears, and groaned again, "You have sharp claws, please lie down." The dog finally settled on her lap, idly licking his nose as she settled back in the chair.

 _Aranea: You know he cant get enough of me if he werent hangin out with mr oracle doin whatever magic keeps this country in one piece i bet hed be beggin me not to leave. But see you soon enough takin a cab this time gettin harder to waddle around._

 _Luna: See you soon_

She wanted to advise her friend to be sure to take care of herself, but she knew that she was. She placed a hand over her flat stomach, looking down. _I wonder what I'll look like huge and waddling._ She imagined the teasing she would be on the receiving end of and wondered just when she would begin to show her pregnancy. She smiled a bit at the thought, and opened her book to the place she left off and occupied herself with reading and idly petting behind Umbra's ears while she waited for Aranea to arrive.

When she arrived, Lunafreya had read several chapters of her book. Umbra was sleeping at Lunafreya's feet after growing too heavy on her lap, and the gentle rapping on the greenhouse garden door woke both dogs who yapped at the sound, and began to bark loudly at the second rapping.

"Please, come in." She called over to the door, the door opened and Lunafreya smiled a bit as Aranea walked in and placed her hands on her hips,

"Sure the King won't have me tried for treason for entering your… what did he call it, your _sanctuary_?" she grinned, hands on her hips.

"Oh be nice." She answered her friend. "Care to join me and rest those swollen feet?"

"It's freezing in there. Not all of us are a snow monster like you. Let's go somewhere where _normal_ humans can exist. I can't even stand in the doorway. Wait, you're just Shiva aren't you. What did you do to the Oracle?"

"Alas, you have figured out my secret. Best keep quiet now." She smiled, and sighed, placing her hands on her palms and stood with a small groan, the long morning in the chair leaving her knees aching. Pryna and Umbra had run over to the door, sniffing at Aranea's feet, and staying close to the woman.

"What is the deal with your dogs? Whenever I show up they stick to me like glue."

"They've been extra clingy with me lately. I think they know we're pregnant." She answered.

"They were always kinda weird." Aranea shrugged, "sorry guys. I'll pet you when I'm sitting. If I try to bend over it will take the rest of the day to stand back up." The dogs whined at her feet and she rolled her eyes at them, "it's like they can understand people-words or something. Coming pokey?"

"So kind, remind me again how it is we're friends?"

"Oh, guess those hormones _are_ kicking in. Sarcasm, from the _Oracle_?"

"You use that word like it's a curse word." Lunafreya commented, picking up her book and empty mug of tea.

"Because all that Oracle nonsense _is_ a curse. What the hell did it get you?"

"The ability to heal people, and our Star." She answered, and Aranea forced a laugh, rolling her eyes. She hated watching her friend grow frail during their journey, the cost of her burden becoming more evident over time. The young woman's stubborn conviction was admirable, if not foolish. She knew better than to belabor the point and let it pass with a sigh.

"Well I'm hungry. Always hungry. Want to go invade the kitchen?"

"Not sure I can handle eating much, but I suppose I best try."

"Gotta fatten you up a little, eatin' for two now! And don't you go spouting _facts_ at me about calorie counts and stuff, get enough of that from Specs." She pointed a finger at Lunafreya who laughed and held up her hands with her palms out, shrugging at her in reply. "Well even if you're a bird I'm more of a Tenebraean Ice-bear preparing to hibernate. We should go get food before I empty your pantry."

"Looking forward to the day this endless nausea is replaced by an endless appetite." Lunafreya sighed.

"Getting cravings yet?"

"More like… aversions. Certain foods just make my stomach want to escape my body."

"Well what can you hold down, you up-chuck within a hundred meters of me and I'll likely barf right back on you."

"Mostly been surviving off of rice and noodles to be honest. Particularly spicy noodles… I suppose Gladiolous would be proud of me." She paused for a moment, biting down on her bottom lip, "Not the most nutritious food."

"Well let's go hound those cooks to make you something spicy with noodles, and something nutritious for the alien" she listed several foods she wondered if Lunafreya could try, and she was agreeable to getting herself to eat them despite how much her stomach was insisting all food was repulsive. She ended up amenable to tofu, since textures never bothered her and the lack of any real flavor made it harder for her body to reject the food, and some mushrooms also.

"Man, I should invade more often. Whatever you're paying your cooks isn't enough because this food is _amazing._ " Aranea commented after the first several bites of her own noodle dish.

"Comparable to Iggy?" Lunafreya prodded with a smirk, earning a barking laugh from her friend.

"He just simply creates mana from heaven. This is easily next-best though. But don't tell Specs I think anything even comes _close_ to his cooking or he'll spend the next month holed away in the kitchen trying to get better." Lunafreya couldn't help snorting, and coughing as some of the spicy broth in her mouth backed into her sinuses, causing her to fall into a series of barking coughs. "Whoa! Didn't mean to attempt to assassinate the Lucian royalty!" Aranea gave her a hard slap on the back before rubbing between her shouders, a crooked smile on her face, "hey… you okay?" Lunafreya nodded, cleared her throat, and attempts to speak before falling into another cough before she could find her voice.

"Don't make me laugh when eating something spicy." She coughed, eyes watering as she squeezed them shut, clearing her throat. Luckily the Citadel staff had retreated to the kitchens so only Aranea was witness to her embarrassment.

"Wasn't trying to make you choke."

"I didn't choke, got a little bit of broth backing up into my nose and it was spicy so my body wasn't very pleased with me." She insisted, pausing occasionally between words to clear her throat again. She reached for her napkin, apologizing for how crass she was about to appear, and blew her nose to try and clear away the offending spice and the sudden buildup of mucous in her sinuses.

"Should record this sexy moment, Noct won't be able to get enough of you!"

"Oh be nice."

"Hmm, you're right. Based on what I remember from our camping days, he already can't get enough of you."

"Oh not you too. Am I not on the receiving end of enough of that from Gladiolus? He beginning to rub off on you?" Aranea chuckled and shoved a bite of food in her mouth to let the awkwardness in the air hang around, enjoying the embarrassed look on her friend's face far too much to break the moment.

"Well when you're done dying and managed to finish your food want to watch a movie or something? Normally I'd get restless and need to walk around or go punch something but little one has other ideas." Aranea suggested.

"The _little alien_ giving you a break today from tap-dancing on your ribs?"

"I have a brief reprieve. Surprised the lil' brat hasn't woken up since I've been sitting still for more than thirty seconds. I guarantee once we start a movie the dance recital will begin. You're in for a treat in a few months."

"You really do make pregnancy seem like the glorious miracle touted in books."

"You seem to be enjoying it, helped you become close friends with your toilet." Aranea quipped, and her friend laughed in response, nodding at it.

"The thing likely believes it must be the King considering how often I am bowing down to it."

"All hail the porcelain god!"

"Bow before thee!" They laughed again and continued to talk while they ate their noodles,

"At least you guys have a good taste in movies." Aranea remarked while looking at the available selection, pulling one off the shelf. She held one up, proclaiming it the winner, and was sure to mock Lunafreya's unfamiliarity with technology as she got the movie started.

"Just because I like books…" Lunafreya trailed off, "well stop teasing me because my jailors weren't familiar with electricity and come sit, you look like you may topple over."

"Sorry," Aranea apologized, grimacing slightly and knitting her brows together. She hadn't intended to mock her for side-effects of her time with the Empire; she recalled how difficult her own time under their thumb had been and her own leash had been far longer than the Oracle's.

"No need to apologize. Was quite odd how Aldercapt was so obsessed with technology and so terrified of it at the same time."

"Maybe he got bit by a video-tape player as a kid and thus swore vengeance against the evil machines and swore to build an army of them," Aranea puffed out her chest, tapping her fist above her breast, dropping her voice several octaves and forcing a gravely roughness, " _the only machines in my Empire shall be under my control, mua ha ha ha ha!"_ she fell into a coughing fit, tapping at her chest again, "ugh.. okay remind me not to do that voice again." She looked up, and was surprised to see Lunafreya laughing.

"I am fairly certain a lot of Caligo's behavor was compensation for things as well." Lunafreya answered back, but the smile on her face didn't touch her eyes. "At least he got what was coming to him." She muttered, drumming her fingers against her thigh.

"Yeah remind me never to piss off Noct…"

"I assume you have no intention of torturing me for years on end."

"Oh no, my secret plan of earning your trust just to turn on you has been found!" she threw her hands in the air, and hey don't forget that Verstael creep. Pretty sure the only thing he was ever _intimate_ with was an MT."

"But only _before_ he turned them on. Pretty sure even those dead-eyed machines would reject him." Both women mocked a gag, Lunafreya nearly tricking her own stomach into thinking she was actually gagging and quickly swallowed to remind herself that her daily dose of nausea had already passed, and she wasn't quite ready for round two.

"Ugh, the accuracy of that statement though. Man, that guy was ten times creepier when you saw him in his lab."

"Talking about me?" Noctis's familiar voice rang from the doorway.

"Naw, if we were talking about you we would have used a few more adjectives like _brooding_. Seriously, you ever wear _colors_?" Aranea answered back.

"Be kind now darling." Ignis answered her, holding up a finger. She smirked and winked at him needlessly in reply. Luna walked over to the couch, patting the seat beside her.

"We're about to watch a movie, care to join?" She called over.

"We've been working hard all day, I think we earned a break." Noctis answered.

" Is there enough room for four in that couch?" Ignis inquired. Aranea looked at it and clicked her tongue,

"Hmm, might be a problem." Noctis observed. "I could go drag the armchair a little closer for someone."

"And miss out on my Specs? Hell no. Just seems I'll just have to sit on his lap. What a tragedy! Now come, sit, and endure the torture of the crazy clingy pregnant wonder." Ignis chuckled, walking up to the source of her voice and found her hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing her knuckles,

"Perhaps a siren is a more apt term, for I am completely enamored." He answered her.

"Though this siren doesn't _quite_ wish to drown her wayward sailor. Then I'd have to raise this kid alone. Pretty sure as awesome as I am, I'm not awesome enough for that." She slipped her hand out of his so she could link her hands behind his neck, standing on her toes, "you are far too tall, get down here." She complained when she was unsuccessful at bringing herself eye level with him. He flushed at her flirting, but couldn't deny the effect of her arm arms around his neck, and her soothing voice urging him on.

"'Nea…"

"Oh don't be so prude." She pouted, and tugged on his neck again with her clasped hands, bringing him down so she could reach his lips for a kiss. She had to bend awkwardly with how much her belly protruded, making it difficult to get herself as close to him she wanted. But she felt the tension in his shoulders loosen, and he brought his arms around her, a palm against her lower back tugging her closer to him, despite the awkwardness, head ducking down to kiss her again.

"I suppose I have been most occupied as of late. I apologies my darling, I should be making more time for you." Usually one to shy away from any displays of affection, he decided to play along with her, feeling he owed her for how much time he had been spending tending to matters of state with their King.

"Then come on and sit and listen to a movie." She stood on her toes to kiss him again, falling back into her heels and tilting her head towards the couch where Noctis had settled into the corner, Lunafreya sitting next to him, nestled close to her Prince with his arm around her shoulder. "If _she_ can get over being touched with witnesses around, then you can snuggle with your fatter-than-hell wife."

"You are _not_ fat." He assured her, "and I am not merely saying that to assuage any homicidal urges you would have should I say otherwise." He followed Aranea to the couch, sitting down and making an exaggerated open arm gesture to welcome her into his lap, curling his arms around her as best he could.

"It's like a cuddle party double-date." She remarked. It took some wiggling, and reassurances from Ignis that she was not too heavy on his lap, for the couple to feel comfortable. Ignis had one arm draped around her waist, the other holding one of her hands, thumb brushing across the backs of her fingers. Noctis played with the remote to turn on the descriptive audio settings for Ignis. The group had grown used to watching movies this way, and Ignis had stopped protesting using the setting.

"I love you 'Nea." He whispered into her ear, and she hummed slightly,

"Love you too Specs." Aranea answered back, ignoring the diabetes joke from the other couple.


	6. A Short Walk

A short little Ignea intermission for a friend. Let me know if you all enjoyed and I'll scribble in some more Ignea in future chapters ;)

* * *

"I still say it was impolite to walk out." Ignis stated, walking beside Aranea down the hallway towards the Citadel's gardens.

"Not our fault they fell asleep halfway through the second movie. Besides, my legs were getting numb and I needed to walk." She answered. "It's not like we're taking off without saying bye."

"Scribbling a note and leaving it on Luna's lap does not entirely count." Ignis quipped back, but when Aranea turned her head she saw a grin on his face.

"One of them will blow up one of our phones if they wake up before we sneak back up there. Besides, you were busy with the King all day and I missed my sexy glasses." She smiled. She had taken to always standing on his left, so she could grasp his free hand when they walked together. His fingers twined with hers as soon as he felt her touch, humming in answer to the nickname.

"How is it your hands are always so cold?"

"So you always know it's my hand." She supplied, giving his hand a squeeze.

"I'd know your hand even if I shook hands with all of Lucis." He answered her, returning her gesture, tugging her a little closer, halting his steps so he could bring her hand to his lips, kissing her fingertips before turning it to kiss her knuckles.

"You'll ruin my image as a badass dragoon if you make me blush like this." She answered, voice quieter than usual. He let his cane clatter to the floor so he could bring his right hand to her cheek, "Iggy?"

"You said you're blushing my darling, that does not happen often. Let me feel this most rare of events before this planetary conjunction passes." He declared, feeling the warmth under his palm contrast the coolness in his other. He slid his hand across her cheek, his thumb sliding past her earlobe before tracing the line of her jaw. He leaned in, placing a careful kiss on her lips, a smile tugging at his mouth as he felt her lean into him.

"In a hallway? Who are you and what have you done with my husband?"

"As you stated, I was most occupied today. You are not the only one missing someone today." He answered her.

"Hmm… you still want this beachball of a wife?" she tilted her head at him, lifting her free hang to pull off his glasses.

"'Nea…"

"Oh shush. Scars are sexy. Maybe I should start calling you sexy scars?" she folded the glasses, tucking them into the collar of his shirt. "Besides, you always insist you don't wear them to hide your scars, just to block the light. And this hallway isn't exactly bright. Or this Citadel. Like, anything in this place. Honestly how do those royals not succumb to depression?" she remarked, looking around her.

"Perhaps you can answer that question, you spend as much time here as I do."

"I get lonely in the house without you." She answered defensively. "And is this the part where I make some cheesy line about you being my light or other nauseating lines?" she inquired.

"My 'Nea thinking of romantic lines? Perhaps I should be asking who are you and what have you done with my wife?"

"She's been possessed by an alien. Maybe that's why she's so wild for this stuffy royal advisor." She released the hand still twined with her own, reaching up to ruffle his collar that would somehow be perfect even if he had fallen asleep in this shirt. Ignis managed to hold back his initial comment about his distaste to referring to their unborn as _the alien_.

"Shall I check her for a fever?" he leaned forward and pressed his lips against her forehead, enjoying the sound of the humm in her throat, and the increased pressure as she leaned into him. Both her hands fussed with his collar, and he knew he would have to iron it out later. But her hands slipped up his neck, cupping his cheeks as her thumbs traced the tops of his ears. He could picture her standing on her toes, and wondered if she was closing her eyes or gazing up at him. She had long ago stopped wearing any type of perfumes, and he could simply smell _her_. That familiar and comforting scent that told him it was her standing with him. Her hands were cold on his skin, her voice whispering her awkward nickname for him was like music.

"What's the diagnosis doc? Lost cause?" She tisked a bit.

"Not just yet. She's just far too cold and needs to be warmed up." He tugged her closer, wrapping his arms around her. She giggled as she buried her face into his chest, and the sound was quite odd from her, and he felt a certain pride that he was likely the only person to hear her _giggle_. He could never get enough of it. Her surprised yelp echoed his own before she pulled back slightly, hands fluttering over her stomach,

"Oof, little alien didn't like that. Already grossed out by Mom n' Pop being affectionate? Man you're in for a _long_ childhood because your mother can't keep her hands off your father. Kinda the reason you exist."

"Oh goodness 'Nea don't make jokes like that to him!"

"Oh it's not like he can understand those jokes. Let me make them while I can! I gotta squeeze in my dirty jokes while I can." She insisted, reaching up and tapping on his nose, causing him to jerk his head back and wrinkle his nose.

"Still seems… uncouth."

"And that's why you love me so damn much. You'd just be so _boring_ without me." She insited.

"Is he still kicking?" Ignis asked.

"Yeah, here," she quickly grabbed his left hand, pressing it against the spot of her abdomen that caused them both to pull apart earlier. He flinched when he felt the slightest bump against his palm. Aranea smiled, her brows knitting together as she saw the expression overtaking Ignis's features, both his hands now pressed against her abdomen.

"I can't wait to meet you, you clearly have your mother's legs."

"Ya think?! How has this alien not broken one of my ribs yet?!" she admonished, hands on her hips. She looked down at her stomach, and saw the way her belly shifted subtly, and wished Ignis could see it. But then again, he'd likely never want to touch her again if he saw the bizarre sight.

"Careful now my little one, don't hurt your mother. I don't think she would accept the offense of being stuck in bed all day."

"Well if I was stuck in bed all day with _you_ I think I could bear it."

"I can practically _hear_ that grin I know you have on your face."

"You know me far too well. Studying me like one of your books?" She flinched at her words, wrinkling her nose as her brows knit together, biting down on her bottom lip. She knew braille was something he never managed to master, and still occasionally attempted if only out of sheer frustration.

"Bit more interesting." He replied, smiling at her. "Please, relax. I hate when you're this tense." She sighed, lifting her arms around his neck, "You're allowed to make a bad joke now and then."

"Did you just say my jokes are _bad_?" She withdrew her arms, placing them on her hips.

"I clearly lost my senses for a moment. Shall we journey onward to the garden like your original plan, perhaps the fresh oxygen from the plant life shall… rejuvenate my clearly damaged brain." He offered.

"Hmm, that makes a lot more sense." She bent down, picking up his cane and pushed it against his right hand, and grasped his left so their fingers could twine again, and they continued walking trough the winding halls. "I'm cold enough, so no sigh… sill? … blue flower room." Aranea stated when they got there, covering the fact that she had enough respect for her friend to let her have her private sanctuary and not invade the space without an explicit invitation. She opened the door, pulling Ignis in behind her and pulling the greenhouse door shut behind her.

"Ah, yes, I feel my mind clearing. Now that I have my senses about me, your jokes are the epitome of humor."

"Was that sarcasm?" she mused, tilting her head and lifting a brow.

"Never my darling." He insisted. He reached out a palm and found the wall, leaning his cane up against it and allowed Aranea to be his guide as she pulled him deeper into the room. She only suffered several paces before she turned, standing on her toes to link her hands behind his head, fingers weaving through his hair, ignoring his whine as she pulled him down, pressing her lips against his. His arms were quick to wrap around her, hands tugging at her shirt to lift it so he could slide his hands beneath the fabric. "Hmm… much warmer."

"Careful now, you might make me melt. Then what would you do?" She whispered before going back in for another kiss. One hand slid up between her shoulders, thumb tracing the line of a shoulder blade, his other hand in the small of her back. He wanted her closer, to lift her in his arms, but her swollen stomach made the task difficult.

"I think I'd go mad… you're my light in the darkness 'Nea." He whispered to her, and she felt her cheeks flush, the heat touching her ears.

"You're too romantic, gonna make me nauseous," she replied, her voice lacking its usual sarcastic edge. The hesitation in her voice brought a smile to Ignis's face, who leaned down to kiss her, his hands sliding over the warm skin on her back. "If only we were home alone…"

"Perhaps once we leave. I think I can suffer the occasional sleepless night, so long as you assure me you will rest yourself proper as late as you need."

"If that's the only toll I gotta pay to have you in a bed to myself all night? I think I'm willing to pay it." He chuckled, nuzzling the side of her jaw with his nose and bringing his lips to her neck when she tilted her head away, sighing at the first touch of his tongue. "Ig…" she whispered, desperately wishing they could simply teleport back to their place.

"Maybe we should let the royals sleep where they are and depart for the evening?" he mumbled against her skin,

"I think they'd forgive us."

"Then let's head home…"


	7. Late Night

This chapter kinda turned into pure smut. But nonetheless, I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Lunafreya shifted from her place nestled next to Noctis, rolling her stiff shoulder to bring sensation back to her arm. She looked over to where her friends had been sitting to find it empty, her eyes searching a clock to see the time before remembering the time displayed on her phone and removed it from her pocket.

"Noctis… we should probably move to the bedroom. It's a bit late." She stretched, feeling a few a pop in her arm and her neck, rolling hear head to ease some of the tension from sleeping so awkwardly.

"I'm cozy." He mumbled, nestling deeper into his corner of the couch.

"You'd be cozy sleeping outside so long as you had a shirt to roll up as a pillow. I'm going to go to bed." She replied before standing, stretching with her hands on her lower back. She heard a whine and looked behind her, seeing Noctis reaching for her. "You aren't going to pull be back to the couch. Should you wish to join me I'll be in our bedroom." She answered, giving him a small wink and a smile. He whined again and she rolled her eyes, refusing to give in to discomfort merely to appease him, the ache in her neck too strong to compromise with a night on the couch. She picked up her shoes, and started walking to the bedroom.

The walk was short, but the ache in her knees and the numbness growing in her calves left her relieved at the brevity. She walked over to the closet, placing her shoes inside before making her way to the bed and pulling herself up with a slight groan, wondering why their bed had to be so tall. She shifted onto her side, pulling the blankets up to her shoulder and sighing as she finally let herself relax, the tension in her neck fading. It wasn't long until she heard familiar footsteps, and the mattress shifted as a warm body climbed in beside her.

"I thought you were cozy on the couch?" she asked, turning over to look at him.

"I missed you." He insisted. She smiled and shifted closer to him to place a kiss on his cheek,

"We've been apart all of five minutes my silly King." She chuckled, and lifted himself onto his forearms crawling forward so he was leaning over her.

"I still missed you." He whined again before ducking down to meet her lips, feeling her chuckling under his kiss and pulled away with a pout, "have I lost my touch?" he asked, a grin on his own face as he looked down at her smile.

"Perhaps remind your Queen what her King's touch does to her?" she suggested, eyes narrowing as they tugged into match her sly grin. Noctis ducked in again, nipping at her bottom lip until she opened her mouth, his tongue clashing with hers as her arms tightened their hold and pulled him down to her. He felt her hips shift beneath him and her knees pressed into his hips before lifting to wrap around him and pull him entirely down against her.

"Guess I _haven't_ lost my touch, but didn't realize it worked quite that fast. Thinking naughty thoughts?"

"Be nice." She shot back. "I missed you too."

"I thought we were only apart for five minutes and I was silly for missing you?"

"I suppose I'm allowed to be silly too." She suggested with a shrug, biting on her bottom lip and squeezed his hips harder with her knees, "and you do make me lose my senses." She quirked a brow and he kissed her roughly, and she felt the stubble on his cheek rub against her skin he dragged his lips over her cheek to her neck,

"I know how you make you lose them even more." He whispered against her skin, nipping at her lightly before sucking at her neck,

"You'll leave a mark…" she whispered absently, turning hear head away and arching into him. He hummed against her neck, biting at her again in answer, causing her to hum back. She rolled her hips from beneath him, her toes grazing the skin of his legs though the fabric of his pants. She could feel the pressure against her in response to her touch and sighed arching her back as she pulled him closer.

"You have cover-up." He answered her, sucking at the spot on her neck that he had nipped, feeling her arch beneath his tongue, feeling a quiet moan beneath his lips. "you _really_ sure you want me to stop?" he asked, and felt one of her hands wind into his hair, fingers curling and he smirked at the slight discomfort. "I'm taking that as a no." She moaned again and gave him another roll her hips and he responded in hind with a roll of his own, applying the pressure just where she was looking for and her voice finally found its way from her throat. He lowered himself closer to her, his weight bearing down on her as he slid one arm under the hem of her dress, pushing it up past her hips, moaning a bit as the garment snagged under her until she lifted her hips, allowing him to push it up further. His hands felt her, using the light touches and teasing pinches he knew would drive her wild, refusing to answer the way she wiggled beneath him, loving teasing her until she was nearly tearing his clothing off in her haste.

She sat up, pulling her dress over her head and casting it aside, her hands running down his back to tug at the hem of his shirt, giggling when he kissed her, forcing her onto her back. He parted with her reluctantly when his shirt was bunched up under his arms and she continued to tug, awkwardly leaving the shirt partially removed and caught on his head. He sat up, pulling off his shirt and casting it aside, and lifted a brow at Lunafreya who was laughing at him, feeling quite confused until she reached up to fuss his hair and could only imagine how unruly it was with the way she caught his shirt over his head. Her hands quickly traced the center of his back, hooking her thumbs under the waist of his pants, giving them a test tug, and whined slightly when she realized there was no removing them until she dealt with his belt first. Her hands slid along his skin, biting down on her bottom lip as Noctis met her eyes, her hands fumbling at his belt and any pretense of sensuality was lost after several moments she failed to free the belt from the notch.

"Honestly!" she admonished, feeling her cheeks heat up as she gave up, hands slapping the bed as Noctis reached for the belt and loosened it. Lunafreya reached back up but Noctis grabbed her wrists, pinning them beside her head, kissing her fiercely, tongue tasting her, teeth grazing her lip.

"You just lie back." He whispered, and she felt goosebumps rush down her arms in a sudden chill, toes curling as her imagination went wild thinking what Noctis could have in mind for her. Her fingers curled but her hands remained where he placed them on either side of her head, watching with rapt attention as Noctis slid his pants off, intentionally leaving his boxers on just to frustrate her, she was sure. Gods-damnit he loved to tease her, and she couldn't decide if she loved it or hated it. He leaned in to kiss her again, his lips grazing down to her throat, and kissed the small pink bite mark that was surrounded by a deep shade of red from the way he had sucked at her throat, and he chuckled, his hand coming up to the side of her neck, thumb brushing at the mark that would surely turn into a bruise by morning before sliding further up to play with her earlobe and cup her cheek. She wanted to reach up, to return these gentle gestures, but as soon as a hand moved he was quick to grip her wrist and pin it back down, repeating his earlier request. She whispered his name, and he pulled back to grin at her and wink before returning to his previous task.

His mouth moved down from her neck to her chest, and his tongue causing her to arch her back to encourage him. One hand continued to play with her ear or brush her neck, the other roughly gripped her thigh, fingers digging into her flesh before his thumbs would brush small gentle circles. She whimpered, wiggling her hips and lifting her leg to press her knee into his side again, and he chuckled, taking the hint. He shifted his fingers to where she was desperately yearning, setting her nerves ablaze and she nearly fell over the edge at the barest start of his touch. She whispered his name, and she returned in kind. She flexed her fingers, yearning to reach for him and return this bliss, to hear him moan against her ear and make those lustful sounds that were so un-Kingly she couldn't ever get enough. She whimpered, and her breathing became shallow and more rapid. With a grin, Noctis removed his hands from where they were, and she nearly yelped at the sudden loss of sensation, her knees pressing hard against him as she tried to recover from the brink he pushed her so close to only to draw back.

"Noct!" she chided, cheeks burning.

"Gods damn that look on your face is so hot."

"The look I make when I'm near ready to murder you?" she inquired. He merely laughed in reply and pressed a kiss just under her ribs, then above her navel, and just above her pelvis. Her breath began to hitch again, biting her lip as she had an idea of where he was going with this. Noctis kissed her again, letting his lips linger against her skin, and rested his forehead against her stomach. _She's finally pregnant._ The thought rose to his mind, and he wanted to enjoy this night, like very night since she gave him the news. There was no more urgency, or desperate hope. Merely her, her hands, her legs, her lips, her warmth. He wanted to drive her wild, and knew the way he had just teased her left her wanting.

"I love you." He whispered, gripping her hips, fingertips digging into her skin.

"For wanting to kill you?" she asked, now a bit confused by his flirting. He laughed, realizing his mistimed endearment and pressed another kiss to her stomach.

"I guess I should make it up to you." He answered. He trailed his kisses lower and she gasped, and strained to keep herself from pressing her knees into his head, or lifting her hands knowing he would merely press them back to the bed. Noctis groaned, feeling the intense pressure in his groin but wanted to draw things out and not join her just yet. He wanted it to last, to be about _her._ The woman who meant everything to him. His wife, his Queen, and soon-to-be mother of his child. "Because I _do_ love you."

"I…" she wanted to respond in kind, but the things he was doing to her, the sounds he was making, was making rational thought and speaking quite difficult. She sighed, head lolling back against the pillow, her hands gripping it so tight her knuckles flushed white. Her right heel dug into the bed as her leg rocked. He didn't tease her this time, pushing her over the precipice of ecstasy, compounded by the previous denial. "I… I love you…" she panted as she came down from her cloud, blinking through blurred eyes. She reached for him, and this time he didn't stop her as she cupped his cheeks and ran her hands through his hair. He shimmied up in the bed so he was resting over her. "I don't think I'm the only one you've teased." She remarked as her hands trailed down his back, hooking the elastic of his boxers and playing with them until he sat back to pull them off himself, casting them aside with the rest of their clothing.

"You're trembling." He stated, kissing that spot below her ear.

"And whose fault is that?" she inquired.

"Hmm… I dunno." He answered.

"Well. If you find out, do tell him that he's quite the miracle worker." She smirked, and Noctis couldn't hide his cocky grin. She shifted beneath him and the sensation as she brushed against his hips was too much for him to push things off further, and let out a moan as he joined with her, needing to pause so things wouldn't end too quickly. After a few seconds he began to roll his hips, and quickly settled into a rhythm that had her writing beneath him. Her breathy whines and gasps were occasionally punctuated by his name. He lifted himself up so he could reach a hand between them, never creasing his movements as he saw to enhance her bliss with a well-placed thumb moving in rapid circles. Her quiet sighs finally breaking into a quiet moan told him he was on the right track, and he rested his forehead against her where her shoulder met her neck, her skin cool beneath his sweating forehead. He would pause when he felt he was too close to the edge, denying himself release to ensure this would be one hell of a night for his beloved. His hands worked when his hips rested, lips grazing the side of her neck. It was some time later when he finally rested beside her, spent and sated, the pair left exhausted and panting.

"What got into you…" Lunafreya asked with a sigh as she curled up to him, resting her head on his chest despite the light sheen of sweat and how she felt just a bit too warm snuggling up next to him.

"I'd ask you the same question but-" he stretched the last word, "we both know the answer to _that_."

"Noct!" she playfully slapped at his chest, shaking her head. She nestled back against his chest, her palm resting against him with her thumb tracing the line of his collarbone. "I could sleep for an entire day after that… not so sure my legs are going to work tomorrow." She sighed.

"I'm gonna day that as a compliment."

"To put it lightly." She chuckled. "I love you."

"Love you too."


	8. Footrub

Another little intermission with Ignea!

* * *

Aranea threw the keys at the kitchen counter and missed while Ignis shut the door behind them with a click of the lock. She groaned as she stared at them on the floor, hands on her hips as she debated her options to retrieve them. She kicked off her shoes and braced a hand on the counter to help her retain her balance as she reached with her foot, toes curling around the keyring to pick them up, snatching them back up with a loud _ha!_ Ignis smiled and walked towards her,

"Your talents never cease to amaze me." He teased.

"Do you even know what I did?"

"Well, it sounded like the keys bounced off the counter onto the floor, and based on the lack of grunting I can assume you did not bend over to pick them up, but your victorious shout means they are not still on the floor. Ergo, you picked them up with your feet."

"You're like something out of a mystery book!" she exclaimed, and after a brief pause her brows knit together, "And I do _not_ grunt when I bend over!"

"My darling, I do love you so therefore I cannot lie. You most certainly grunt when you bend over."

"I most certainly do _not._ But that has more to do with the fact I don't think I _can_ bend over anymore…"

"I assure you that you are quite a bit more flexible than you think."

"Maybe we should go test these theories?" Aranea suggested, sauntering a few steps closer to Ignis and linking her hands behind his neck.

"I can _hear_ that grin I'm quite certain is on your face." Ignis answered, smiling at her.

"Ass!" she responded, but couldn't help but give him the grin he was accusing her of.

"A crass word, but I assure you my rear is quite as lovely as always."

"Is it now?" she responded, and dropped her hands to cup his buttocks, giving them a tight squeeze which caused his hips to jerk forward in surprise. "Hmm gotta agree with you my sexy glasses." She gave him another squeeze and he reached around her to return the gesture,

"Mine up to standards?" She inquired, giving him a small wiggle of her hips. "Surprised you can reach around this melon-sized belly of mine." She added.

"You fit perfect in my arms." Ignis insisted. Aranea couldn't help rolling her eyes and rested her hands on Ignis's hips, slipping under his jacket and began to untuck his button-up from his pants.

"Speakin' of perfect fits. Get these off, they're a little constraining don't you think?" she answered back. Ignis obliged, shrugging off his jacket and reaching to place it on the counter before placing his hands on her lower back, tugging on the hem of her shirt,

"Feels like your own shirt may be ill-fitting. I think it prudent to remove it so I can better assess your measurements to adjust it." He whispered as he bent down to kiss her temple, his fingers grazing her warm skin, his thumbs rubbing small circles as he focused on the way her breathing changed, the quiet nasal sound, the clink of his belt as she tugged at it, freeing the notch and made quick work of removing it from the series of loops around his waist. "You seem to have a talent for that."

"I must get a lot of practice." She shrugged. "You're too damn tall, get down here so I can kiss you properly." She complained, reaching up to his neck to tug him down to her.

"I thought you wanted to free me from these ill-fitting clothes?"

"I'm indecisive. Blame the hormones."

"Well I, on the other hand, am not. I would still like to free you from this shirt, though I suppose I can't complain about a kiss." He smiled at her, and imagined the one that would be tugging at her lips as she rolled her eyes, and he could hear her scoff, placing his hands on either side of her face so he could bend down and find her lips, her nasal sigh tickling his cheek.

"Just one?" she whispered. "Not sure I can stop. It's like potato chips."

"I'm fat and salty? I always believed you thought higher of me darling." He felt the slap against the top of his arm and laughed,

"You hang out with Gladio too much."

"If I was taking after Gladio I would have done this," he reached a hand under the front of her shirt, slipping it under the sports bra she had been favoring over her traditional bras as of late, and gave her breast a squeeze earning a yelp from her.

"Ignis!"

"Blame Gladio." He shot back quickly.

"Damnit I think you made me leak!" she exclaimed, and wiggled out of his grip, but his hand was stuck under the elastic of her bra, requiring his other hand to slip the offending hand free.

"I don't think you did." Ignis folded his hands and rubbed his fingers together, noting his skin was dry.

"I don't feel anything."

"Well you're lucky." She insisted. "Seems like you struggled with this thing, I should fix that." She remarked, lightly snapping her bra to punctuate her sentence with sound. Ignis chuckled, and brought his hands to her hips, thumbs brushing against her skin under her shirt, his fingers slipping under the waist of her pants.

"We did mention that I need to free you of these garments…" Ignis replied, and began to tug at her shirt again. She let go of him and lifted her arms above her head, goosebumps rushing down her arms as his warm hands slid up her sides to slip her shirt off, and she removed her bra, inhaling sharply. "You alright?" Ignis inquired, placing her shirt atop his jacket on the counter, disliking when clothing was left on the floor after a particular accident that ended up with his dignity as shattered as the plate he knocked over when he slipped on a discarded shirt.

"Tender." She answered back, rubbing the top of her chest to try and will her breasts to stop aching without triggering a much-dreaded leak; to no avail. She squeaked, reaching to the counter to snatch her shirt, in her haste causing Ignis's jacket to fall to the floor as she pressed her shirt to her chest "Damnit!" she cursed.

"I'll get it." Ignis reassured her. She wanted to refuse but he was already bending down to pick up his jacket, dusting it off and placing it back on the counter.

"I'm so sexy right now." She rolled her eyes, looking down at her chest confident that she was done cleaning herself. She tried to take a step towards him and found that now her feet were going numb. "Is this real life right now?!" she shouted, exasperated, throwing her hands in the air.

"You all right?" he inquired, unsure what was causing her to exclaim in frustration.

"My feet are going numb!" She complained, lolling her head back and groaning, placing a hand over her stomach and rubbing it, "You going to start dancing on my bladder to add an exclamation mark to this?" she asked, standing straight and looking down at her abdomen.

"Well what do you say we go sit on the couch, enjoy a movie of our own, and I rub some feeling back into those feet?" Ignis offered. He pictured the smile that he was sure was taking over Aranea's face in the span of her silence, and he heard her take a few steps towards him, her belly touching his just before her hands linked behind his neck,

"That sounds too good to be true. What's the catch?" she asked, cocking a brow.

"I get to the pick the movie." He answered her.

"As long as it's not that terrible thriller _The Car_ we have a deal." She squinted at him and he laughed at her bargain,

"Okay okay. I shant torture you with _The Car._ " He offered up two of his favorite movies, to which she insisted the deal was _he_ got to choose but was still not too shy to voice her preference. They settled on Ignis's favorite detective thriller, and he insisted he didn't need the descriptive audio he had seen the movie enough times prior to losing his sight to simply enjoy it as is. Aranea sat on her side of the couch, letting him sit on his side before sprawling out and resting her feet on his lap, tucking a throw pillow under neck to make herself more comfortable.

"Mmm… your hands are magic." She sighed once he started kneading her feet, the tingling and ache melting away and felt her entire body begin to relax. Aranea tapped at the buttons on the control to skip through the movie's trailers and soon the room was filled with the sound of the opening credits music. "Ooh!" she yelped as the opening began to fade, and placed her hands over her stomach. "Iggy! C'mon and feel before the lil' alien falls back asleep!" she shouted, gesturing at her stomach and quickly reached for his hand once he put her foot down to reach towards her, and placed a palm on her stomach, letting her shift his palm and press her own into the back of his hand. He focused his hearing on her giggling and could feel the slight movement beneath his palm, and then a sudden thump against his palm.

Ignis tried to find words, but instead merely sniffled to keep his nose from running, blinking the burning away from his right eye, feeling the scar tissue pull tight as he squinted. Aranea's hand pressed a little harder into his, and she giggled again half a moment after the next thump under his palm.

"You're acting like you never felt it before!" Aranea teased his reaction, and he finally managed to find his voice, chuckling a little.

"The little one usually falls right asleep as soon as I touch your belly." He replied defensively.

"You said that last time!" She shot back.

"You feel kicking all day, I only feel it when they decide to let me." He replied, and began to brush his thumb against her stomach.

"Oh. Hmm… never actually thought of it that way."

"I forgive you my darling." He answered. He left his palm on her stomach, leaning over to rest his cheek against her stomach,

"Little one, you be kind to your mother now," he whispered, and gently pat Aranea's stomach. "You like to act up the moment she lies down, so do me a favor and let her get some rest tonight, okay?"

"You think you can reason with this little alien? The moment I stop moving the kicking starts!" she threw her hands in the air, head flopping back against the throw pillow.

"Is our little _one_." He stressed the last word, "kicking you anymore?" he asked. Several seconds of silence filled the room, save for their movie, and she knit her brows and tisked,

"Is this a preview of what you're gonna be like once you escape? Kick the shit outta your mom but behave for your dad? Whew, I am _in for it_!" she laughed, and lightly pat her stomach. "If you come out looking anything like your dad, you'll get away with it too." She admitted.

"Our fate is sealed, our little one shall steal our hearts and rule this household!" Ignis admonished, tisking.

"I think you'll end up being the one to soothe this alien to sleep every night. Seriously, feels like they fell right back asleep! I see it now… ah, sleep, you were awful nice. Should enjoy you while I can."

"I thought you wanted to enjoy a movie and have me rub your feet for you?" Ignis asked.

"Well if you're offering, not gonna refuse."


	9. Packing Nerves

Lunafreya woke, blinking several times and rubbing the blur from her eyes as she stared at the alarm clock next to her bed with 10:41 glowing on its face. Her phone chimed and she reached for it, seeing three texts from Aranea and realized she hadn't even awoken at this late hour on her own, her phone's clock confirming how late into the morning it was. She hitched herself up in the bed, her dry eyes burning as she continued to blink and squint to chase off the final blurs of sleep, and cursing how dry her eyes had been lately.

[ _Aranea] Hey hey its past five am so I assume youve been up for hours_

 _[Aranea] I tried to sleep my ass got woken up by contractions I think its almost time to meet the alien_

 _[Aranea] Igs is pacing round the house packing unpacking and repacking the baby bag for when its time to get to the hospital and im gonna throttle him can you guys come over and calm him the hell down before he makes me panic too?_

Lunafreya read the messages and was immediately jerked out of her remaining grogginess. She threw the blankets off of her and sat up on the edge of the bed, her fingers quickly tapping at the screen

[ _Luna] Are you in labor?_

She stared at the words she typed, and not for the first time cursed how tone got lost with this form of communication. Her question appeared far more casual than she felt, and she wished the tight grip she had on her phone could somehow be transmitted as part of her message. She stared at the screen waiting for her reply before she climbed out of bed to find Noctis and share this news, needing to be reassured she was not leaping to conclusions.

[ _Aranea_ ] _probably._

 _[Aranea] or im paranoid and have no pain tolerance which igs has been telling me is impossible._

 _[Aranea] and yes im texting you while in labor to ask you over_

 _[Aranea] outside of iggy ur the closest thing I have to family and before you go aww or do something else your adorable oracle-y self does im only being so mushy because im heavily pregnant and in labor with a manic husband running around the house like I might spontaneously combust_

[ _Luna] I assure you I will be there as soon as I can, I need to quickly speak to Noctis. Please keep me up to date if things begin to progress. In the spirit of being mushy, you are my dearest friend and I wish to be there for you as I would a sister._

She could picture the way Aranea would laugh and roll her eyes at her text, but her words rang true. Having no surviving family of her own, Aranea had become the closest thing she had to family outside of Noctis and could understand the need to reach out. She slid her phone into her pocket and felt it vibrate and chime, pulling it back out to give it a quick glance,

[ _Aranea] bring something to eat I don't have the heart to ask ignis for something to eat with the state hes in_

She forced a nervous chuckle and made a mental note to pack something for Aranea to eat. She glanced at her phone once more to reassure herself that she wasn't mistaking the date. It was only the second, and her baby wasn't due for three more weeks. Would the child be healthy if born this early? She was sure Ignis was asking himself the same question, and she could only imagine the degree of anxiety the ever-prepared Ignis would be feeling at having something as monumental as the birth of his child occur earlier than planned. If anyone could help Ignis settle it would be Noctis. The halls felt longer than usual as she made her way slowly to his office, not surprised to find him busy at work behind his desk, the familiar face of a man whose name she could not recall sat opposite him, another man to his left. Both had briefcases beside them, papers in their laps, pens in hand, chattering animatedly with Noctis. She stood in the doorway with her arms locked behind her back, waiting a few moments to see if he would look up. The chime from her pocket caught their attention.

"Morning Luna." His tone was much more relaxed than his posture, brows knit together and shoulders tense. She nodded to answer his unasked question, unclasping her hands and relaxing her hands by her sides, unlocking her knees. The two men in the room quickly stood and bowed to the Lucian Queen, but sat back down after a gesture from her.

"Good morning. I do apologize for this interruption, but I have news from Ignis." She chose to bring up first the name of his advisor. Some people still took Aranea's name with a degree of malcontent, unable to separate the defected soldier from the other Nifleheimer soldiers who ravaged their homes and she did not wish to soil this meeting with Noctis by bringing up potential sources of argument. News that the Hand of the King had married a defected Nifleheimer soldier did not go over well through much of Lucis, despite Noctis's attempts to placate the people.

"Is it urgent?" he sat back slightly and lifted a brow, pulling open a drawer of his desk to reach for his phone, tapping at it before looking back up to her.

"He knew of your meeting and that you likely had your phone set to silence." She offered as explanation for the lack of missed messages. He hummed at his phone and placed it back in the drawer with a slight shake of his head.

"Please excuse me for a moment sirs." They stood to give him a bow, and he nodded at them and gestured to sit back down before exiting his office, closing the door behind him. "What's up?"

"Aranea thinks she's in labor, Ignis is apparently all but crawling out of his own skin and she's asking for us to go over." She explained quickly hardly waiting for the door to click shut. Noctis blinked at her, his brows shooting up.

"She's in labor? For real?" He paused, looking up through the corner of his eye, "I thought she wasn't due until the end of the month?"

"Guess her little _alien_ had other plans." She offered with a shrug, biting down on her bottom lip. "And you know Ignis and last-minute changes to plans."

"Shit. I can't leave this meeting…" he hesitated before speaking the words, shifting his weight and crossing his arms in front of his chest, fingers drumming on his arm. "this is going to take probably a couple more hours." He gripped his arm tighter with one hand, the fingers on the other drumming faster. "Have Crowe drop you off and I'll head over to wherever you guys are as soon as I can."

"The pregnant Queen of Lucis seen speeding down the freeway on the back of a motorcycle?" she chuckled lightly at the mental image his suggestion conjured.

"Lucis doesn't know its Queen is pregnant yet. But pretty sure she can be coaxed into driving a car."

"If she can be coaxed into driving like a sane human is another question entirely." She saw how Noctis was fidgeting and took a step closer to him, reaching up to cup his cheeks and place a quick kiss on his lips,

"Settle, Noct. You look like its me going into labor. Everything will be all right." She offered,

"Oh the day _you_ go into labor trust me, whatever freak-out Ignis is having will look like he took a sedative compared to how I'll be. And I can't even be there for him… great friend I am."

"We've both told you a thousand times, you are _King_ of Lucis, she oft needs you. And as your Hand, he understands this quite well and I promise he will not hold this against you. Aranea on the other hand, may also begin to crawl out of her own skin if left laboring alone in a house with a frantic husband so I best be off." She stood on her toes to place another kiss against his lips, her arms winding around his neck as she pressed herself closer, wondering when this task would become more difficult.

"Tell them I'm sorry… I'll try to catch up to you guys as fast as I can."

"I promise to do my best to assuage Ignis's irrational rage at your dedication to your obligations to Lucis, and I am sure Aranea would be more than happy to assist me in tying him to a chair to keep him from murdering you." He chuckled at this, and gripped her tight.

"Though I think Aranea's excitement to tie him to a chair has a lot less to do with protecting me than about… other reasons." He nodded wiggling his brows, and laughed when Lunafreya slapped his chest,

"Noct! Honestly I should shove some soap into your ears to scrub that dirty mind of yours!"

"You certainly seem to like my dirty mind when we're alone." She flushed, and felt the heat reach her ears, pulling back from his embrace and crossing her arms over her chest,

"Go back to your meeting, turn your phone off silent, and I will keep you updated, I promise." He forced a smile and gave her a nod, taking a deep breath and straightening his jacket brushing away nonexistent dust from his front before opening the office door, addressing the men inside until his voice was drowned out by the door closing behind him.

Lunafreya sat in the passenger seat of the car, Crowe lamenting having to take the Regalia rather than her preferred motorcycle, but was happy to declare she was a far prettier chauffeur than ignis. She had told her shield she was merely visiting her friend; when she had asked Aranea if she could tell her shield about the possible labor she had replied _no_ , requesting to keep the matter private until she knew for sure, not wanting to send out false alarms that would lead to half a dozen visitors and endless phone calls and messages.

"Whelp, here we are." Crowe declared. "Time to mingle with the commoners."

"Ignis is the hand of the King, does that even count as _commoner_?" She asked back, causing her shield to cock her head.

"Way to kill my joke. Anyways, want to get drinks one day this week? Oh wait… want to grab food and watch me drink?" Crowe corrected herself.

"I'd quite like that." Lunafreya smiled and nodded, feeling a bit guilty at asking her shield-turned-friend to drop her off at another friend's house and not being the one to suggest making plans with her.

"Try not to get killed while I'm off-duty."

"In the ever-dangerous household of these two it will require all my wits, but I shall emerge victorious." She gave Crowe an awkward hug over the gear shift, her shield patting her roughly on the back before they parted and Lunafreya stepped out of the low car, shutting the door and waving as Crowe drove off. She walked up the short driveway and knocked at the front door, and Aranea pulled it open clearly having been pacing in her kitchen awaiting her arrival.

"Thank the Six!" The former soldier threw her arms around Lunafreya, forced to bend over her swollen belly in an awkward embrace.

"How are you?" she asked, wincing at her own question.

"Surviving. Contractions are about fifteen minutes apart, my midwife said to get my ass to the hospital when they're about five minutes apart. As for Ignis…" she trailed off, wrinkling her nose.

"Where is he?"

"Last I saw in the bedroom, his pacing was driving me insane so I decided to wait for you in the kitchen."

"Speaking of kitchens…" Lunafreya pulled up the bag she had brought with her, reaching into it and handing her a small package, "You know my sweet tooth, the chefs made me some tarts last night and we had some leftover. Bit of a variety, not sure which ones these are," she explained.

"You're a life-saver!" she happily took the small package, opening it to pull a tart out and take a bite with an exaggerated moan, rolling her eyes before sitting down at the kitchen table. "the midwife suggested I eat before heading to the hospital to keep up my strength. Don't tell Igs, he'll probably implode with guilt." Lunafreya made a zipper motion over her mouth and got a smile and thumbs up from Aranea. "Man, everything always tastes _so amazing_ ever since I got to like, the second trimester. I hope that doesn't go away once the little alien is born."

"He's not due for three more weeks, will he be okay?" she asked. He leg began to bounce rapidly, biting at her thumbnail as her gaze shifted away from her friend. At her most recent ultrasound Aranea had changed her mind about keeping the gender a secret, and Ignis had been amenable to either knowing or keeping a secret so allowed her to make the decision.

"Did your midwife express concern?"

"No…" she admitted, and placed a hand over her stomach with a wince, brows coming together in quiet moan.

"'Nea did I hear the door?" Ignis entered the kitchen

"Hello Ignis." Lunafreya smiled and caught her arm halfway into the motion of waving _hello_ to him.

"Oh, Luna. I suppose I should not be surprised Aranea invited you at this time. Is Noctis with you?" Lunafreya explained about the meeting, and frowned at the way Ignis's smile faltered and his shoulders dipped. "I understand. Would you care to inspect the bag we are bringing to the hospital, I want to be assured that it contains everything we need."

"Igs! Please!" Aranea complained, lolling her head back. "You had me inspect that bag the first time you packed it, and twice since. _It's more than adequate._ " She reached for the small package and too another bite of tart to silence herself.

"Ignis you are so prudent that I would like to enlist _your_ help when the day comes to pack a bag for the hospital." He sighed, running both hands through his hair. It almost felt odd to see him without his cane, but she figured inside his own house it was unnecessary. "'Nea, how far apart are they now?"

"They were fifteen minutes, but the last one was only a ten minute pause. I'll have a better idea when the next one comes." She answered him. "Sorry I snapped… the last contraction was fading away right when you came in to talk about the bag again." Ignis walked through the kitchen, following her voice and reaching to find the back of the chair, using it to guide himself in front of her and reach for her hands,

"While there is little I can do, we are in this together. We shall meet our little Sentis soon." He leaned forward and she arched her back so he would meet her lips rather than the forehead he was aiming for. Lunafreya flushed at their small affection, and leaned her back against the nearby wall, feeling the fatigue beginning to creep into her legs.

"I'm going to check on that bag like you asked Ignis…" Lunafreya excused herself, though it appeared her absence would go unnoticed. At least for a moment.

Ignis pulled back from the embrace with Aranea, and reached a hand to brush against her cheek, his love tilting her head against his palm.

 _[Luna] My scruffy Prince, Aranea does indeed believe she is in labor. She is timing her contractions, it is not quite time to go to the hospital. I will keep you updated. All my love._

Lunafreya pushed her phone back into her pocket knowing Noctis would not see the message until his meeting was concluded, and walked through the house in spite of the ache in her legs to allot her friends a moment of privacy. She found their bedroom door open and bit down at her bottom lip at the idea of intruding, despite Ignis's request to check through the back he had been apparently frantically packing and un-packing throughout the morning. She decided to leave it be, knowing the task to be pointless. She made her way into their small den. She wandered around, observing the small trinkets and rare photos. Her attention was drawn to the bookshelf on the far side of the room and she busied herself seeing which books Aranea collected.

"Luna?" she heard Aranea call her name. She returned to the kitchen and gave her friend a sheepish smile,

"Just wandering a bit." She apologized. She winced when she saw Aranea double over, hands clutching her abdomen, nose wrinkled.

"How long this time?" she groaned through her pain, turning her head to look at her phone, "seven minutes. Getting closer…" she mumbled.

"Should we go to the hospital?" Ignis inquired.

"Told ya… when they're… five minutes apart." Her voice became less trained by the end of her sentence and she was able to sit up straight, letting out a breath. "Phew… that was a brutal one."

"If they're getting closer , I should check-"

"If you say the bag one more time I will rearrange all the future in this house on a daily basis for the next ten years!" Aranea exclaimed.

"I just want…" Ignis trailed off, his voice quiet before he sighed, running his hands through his hair, his thumbs bumping his glasses on his face. Aranea reached out quickly so they wouldn't fall entirely off his face, pushing them back up,

"Whoa, can't have these fall and break. How can I call you sexy glasses without your glasses?" Ignis chuckled at this, adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose until he was satisfied they were in place.

"How is it you can bear me, my darling." He sighed, and reached for her hands.

"Blame the fact I'm half-crazy because of labor." She answered back. He chuckled and she leaned forward to leave a quick peck on his lips. Aranea suggested a round of cards to pass the time, having purchased a deck with raised symbols so Ignis could play as well. By the end of the first game they played her contractions were seven minutes apart, and halfway through the second game they had quickened to five minutes apart. Lunafreya volunteered to gather Aranea's bag to remove the temptation of repacking it from Ignis. When Aranea's contractions were seven minutes apart Lunafreya had called Crowe, with Aranea's permission, to come gather the trio to bring Aranea to the hospital. While Ignis and Aranea owned a car, Ignis's days of driving were long past, Lunafreya's attempts to learn how to drive a standard car had been disastrous, and a laboring woman was not the best choice of chauffeur.

"Hey there Sparkles, I'm right around the corner!" Crowe answered the phone. "So this is why you bolted to the Highspecs household today?" The Queen's shield answered the phone when Lunafreya frantically dialed her number to check on when she thought she would arrive.

"Hello Crowe. Aranea asked me to keep it quiet until she knew for certain… I do apologize for the ruse." Lunafreya winced at her words, but was answered by the woman's distinct laugh.

"I'll be right there, hope you don't need to deliver a baby in the next two minutes!" Crowe hung up and Lunafreya put her phone back into her pocket, returning to the kitchen with Aranea's bag and assurances that their ride to the hospital was nearby, dismissing the need for Ignis to rush to the curb to hail a cab. True to her words Crowe arrived within minutes, threw Aranea's bag into the trunk and the group clamored into the car to drive to the hospital, Ignis clutching the door handle in a white-knuckle grip, trying not to vomit.


	10. Nervousness at Lunch

I suck at this whole chapter naming thing. I finally updated this fluff piece! I hope you enjoy!

* * *

The arrival at the hospital was far less climactic than Ignis had expected, Aranea having to shush him multiple times for inquiring why the hospital was so calm. She assured him that labor was not as fast a process as people were led to believe. She had been led to a bed, monitors strapped to her abdomen and an IV placed in her arm before assuring she was as comfortable as the situation would allow. Ignis was sitting next to her, tapping his foot. Lunafreya had taken the other chair in the room, her phone in her hand.

"Are you sure you do not want an epidural? It will help the pain." Ignis asked.

"You know my fear of needles. It was an accomplishment to get the one into my hand, like hell if they're coming at my spine with one." Aranea answered back immediately, face scrunching with a contraction, doing her best to keep her groans and gasps to a minimum. The nurse had explained one of the pads strapped to her abdomen was to monitor the contractions, the other the baby's heart rate. Ignids tried to train his ears to the monitor, but it made little sensible noise.

"Perhaps my light can aid in your comfort?" Lunafreya offered, but Aranea shook her head.

"What's the point? Getting' these every…." She paused, grimacing. "Few minutes. No need to exhaust yourself. Plus you're pregnant yourself save your strength" Lunafreya nodded, conceding that she was correct. "Man if this is just the early part of labor I am not looking forward to later." She admitted, trying to settle back against the pillows. "Ya know what. Few more hours and I can stuff my face with anything I want. Well… almost anything." She looked up at the ceiling and groaned, lamenting the foods she was going to insist Ignis prepare for her over the next several weeks. A buzz caught Lunafreya's attention and she looked at her phone's screen.

"Oh it's Noct." Ignis sat up a little straighter at this news,

"His meetings are done?"

"He does feel quite bad he could not come right away." She answered him, Ignis quickly shaking his head,

"I understand his obligations." Aranea groaned, drawing her husband's attention who reached out to brush from hair from her forehead. Rather than ask her how she was doing, knowing he was likely to receive a sarcastic quip, he instead began to tell her about his plans to prepare the foods she had been deprived of for near a year. "I can go back to making your favorite breakfast, eggs-in-a-basket with far too much bacon for your cardiovascular system"

"I eat fruit with it." She protested, causing Ignis to chuckle and agree that at least she ate some fruit.

 _[Noct] Finally out of the meeting hows Aranea holding up?_

 _[Luna] theyre talking about food so she must be doing okay_

 _[Noct] Iggy holding up or crawling out of his own skin?_

 _[Luna] For any normal man he would appear calm, but this is Ignis so I will admit he is a bit frantic._

 _[Noct] omw try to keep him in one piece for me_. Lunafreya had to stare at the phone for a few extra seconds before she could remember what the abbreviation stood for, sighing at herself and feeling foolish before resuming the conversation.

 _[Luna] See you soon, do tell me when you arrive. Llove you._

 _[Noct] Miss you already luv you too_

"Noct is on his way." Lunafreya announced.

"Give him a preview of the heart attack he's in for in several months." Aranea chuckled, Ignis nodded,

"A heart attack is putting it lightly darling." Ignis commented, reaching out to squeeze Aranea's hand who returned it with a light grip of her own, though it grew tighter as another contraction caused her to curl in on herself.

"Phew! That was a strong one!" shortly after her proclamation the nurse came in to check on her, staring at the monitor and informing her the doctor would be in shortly to assess her labor's progress. Lunafreya couldn't help feeling slightly ill at ease. For seeing her friend in such discomfort, and seeing firsthand the trial she was in for later.

 _[Crowe] Hey how she holdin up?_ A text caught her attention, and her initial assumption that it was Noctis was wrong, and she smiled a little at the message from her friend and Shield. She was sitting the waiting room, per the hospital's two visitor policy. They had offered to break it so their Queen could have her shield by her side, but the pair had insisted on no preferential treatment insisting they trusted the hospital to keep their Queen safe with the security that already existed in the labor and delivery ward.

 _[Sparkles] As uncomfortable as you would imagine. Though she's toughing it out, as we expected._ The doctor stepped into the room, and Lunafreya excused herself to the corner to allow him to do his job, allotting Aranea some privacy for such an intimate exam.

 _[Sparkles] The doctor is checking her now to see how far her labor has progressed. I do hope she will not be in for a long day. But time will tell._

 _[Crowe] Well keep me posted. Can't wait to meet the gremlin._

 _[Sparkles] Don't call the baby that around Ignis, he may skin you alive and use it as a blanket to protect his precious bundle._

 _[Crowe] Freaking out yet glimpsing your future?_

 _[Sparkles] A bit put ill at ease, though I imagine once the later stages of labor have arrived I will be much more nervous about what my future holds But for now, seeing Aranea hurting is difficult. I wish my light could touch it, especially since the stubborn woman declined an epidural due to her fear of needles._ She answered. She was no fool, and was well aware labor was likely going to make enduring awakening the Astrals appear to be little more of a mild irritation in comparison, but it was still unsettling to witness first hand. But for the moment, it was hearing her friend groan in pain that was a greater source of distress.

 _[Crowe] You and ur bleeding heart i can picture you being more concerned about bothering your nurses than your own agony._ Lunafreya chuckled lightly, and continued to text back and forth with Crowe until the doctor stated that Aranea was already at five centimeters. She took her seat back next to her friend, alternating between talking to Aranea and texting Crowe after asking if it was all right to give such an intimate detail.

"I don't give a damn, we're all women." She answered, and Lunafreya relayed the answer to Crowe. A short time later she received a text from Noctis stating he had arrived at the hospital. She told him she would meet him in the lobby, and excused herself from the hospital room.

"I imagine Noctis has skipped a meal in his haste to arrive here, so I'll make sure I feed him before we return, though I doubt you will protest a bit of extra time as just mother and father to be." She smiled to her friends, Aranea insisting that she didn't consider Lunafreya's company invasive _or why the hell would I have pleaded for you to get your butt to my house?_ The Oracle chuckled and leaned over the hospital bed to give her friend a hug, promising then to not take too long. "Have Ignis text me then should you need me to return quicker." She waved to her friends and left the room, making a mental note of the number to more easily navigate back. She met Crowe in the waiting room, and the pair walked together to meet Noctis in the lobby.

Noctis was sitting in one of the chairs in the lobby, Gladiolus standing beside him, chuckling at something as the two men talked. A nod in her direction from the Sheild had the King leap to his feet, Lunafreya quickly holding her hands up in a _calm down_ gesture.

"How's Aranea?" He asked once she had come into speaking range.

"As well as one can expect a woman in labor to be."

"As for Ignis?" Lunafreya couldn't help a light chuckle, shrugging her shoudlers.

"Holding himself together." She answered, wondering just how much of a mess Noctis would become when the day came for her own labor. She absentmindedly placed a hand over her abdomen, Noctis's eyes flickering from her hand and back up to her face. "What do you say we go grab some food, I do imagine that you forgot to eat before coming here?" Noctis opened his mouth to protest but quickly shut it, realizing that she was right. He had indeed foregone food in his haste to support Ignis.

"I want to go say hi to Iggy first," he refuted. "Then get food. Pretty hungry actually…" She couldn't refute this idea, knowing she would feel the same if the roles were reversed. Lunafreya led him up into the maternity ward, telling him the room number before assuring him she would not stray from the waiting room to gather food until he rejoined her. It had taken convincing for Gladiolus to stay behind with her rather than insist the hospital bend its two-visitor rule, and yet more convincing for him not to stand guard outside the door and just sit in the damn waiting room.

"Hey," Noctis called, knocking on the doorframe. Ignis looked in the direction, recognizing his friend's voice immediately.

"Noct!"

"Well hey now." Aranea echoed, grimacing and holding her stomach. Noctis replied with a frown, and a concerned glance over at Ignis, "Oh stop it. You look constipated." She groaned as the pain of the latest contraction began to fade.

"Uh, how are you feeling?" he asked.

"I'm in _labor_." Came her reply, Noctis grimacing again, and turned to his advisor,

"How 'bought you? Pass out yet?"

"I'm…" he stopped himself before _quite all right_ came out of his mouth, instead sighing, rubbing the scar tissue touching the bridge of his nose, "nervous." He admitted.

"You eat anything today?" he asked, remembering Lunafreya telling him how insane he was driving Aranea and assumed he could use a break to get something to eat with him.

"I did, skipping meals is unwise. Even if my stomach is churning away." He mumbled the end of his sentence. "Perhaps you could bring me something from the cafeteria?"

"Or go with him Ig, I won't be popping our baby out in the next hour." Aranea offered.

"I do not wish to leave you alone." He frowned at her and she shook her head, waving her hand.

"I'll survive if left to my own devices. Plus there's a T.V in here, I'll watch that movie channel. Always something I like on there." She grimaced when the next contraction took her, the way she groaned and the shifting of her sheets, the creaking of the hospital bed, left Ignis reaching for her, hand resting on her shoulder.

"You should not be forced to shoulder this alone."

"I'm not forced to do anything. Go eat." She commanded. Ignis tried to protest again, so she directed her instructions to Noctis this time, suggesting that he command Ignis to go eat with him before she hit him with the pole holding up her I.V fluids.

"All right. But please my darling, text me immediately should the labor progress." He asked,

"They'll be checkin' my dilation again soon I'll keep you posted." She reached for the remote on her bedside table, turning the television on and finding the aforementioned movie station and smirked when one of her favorite movies was on, Ignis lightly teasing her for how excited she got for a movie about dinosaurs. "I should throw this at you." She threatened, tapping the remote against her bed rail.

"I am going." He felt for the bed rail, reaching out to find her cheek and cupped her face, head tilting to greet her in a kiss. It lingered longer than the usual simple pecks they would exchange around others, Noctis turning to wait in the doorway to allow them a moment of privacy. He heard the soft scraping of Ignis's cane swopping the floor in front of him, and bid Aranea to try not to kill the hospital staff while they were gone.

"So how you holdin' up Iggy?" Noctis asked once they were likely out of Aranea's earshot.

"I feel… helpless… and nervous. And excited. And like there is a chance that I may crawl out of my own skin" He was speaking a bit faster than normal, hand gripping his walking cane almost too tight and swaying it across the floor faster than habitual accidentally hitting Noctis's ankle once. The advisor had apologized profusely, face painted red. Noctis side-stepped to be slightly further away though reassured his friend he was fine, despite the sharp ache in what was already turning to be a bruise.

They entered the waiting room, Lunafreya and the pair of shields looking up and greeting Ignis. They exchanged pleasantries, Ignis assuring them Aranea was as good as circumstance allowed, and that he was as nervous as he had ever been in his life. He was happy for the company and the slight distraction, too many facts and statistics running through his mind. And the fact Aranea had declined the epidural meant she was forced to endure the pain of labor, and the sound of her in pain was torturous.

A nurse told them where the cafeteria was and the group made their way as directed, sitting down each with their own plates of food. Lunafreya initially wanted only a salad, but after encouragement from Noctis to remember that she was indeed _pregnant_ she grabbed a slice of pizza as well. The others settled for burgers, the group sitting down at a table in the corner to eat, Noctis with his back to everyone in an attempt to remain discreet, though his imposing bodyguard usually made that impossible.

Ignis had his head tilted, thumb tracing the edge of the paper plate, his other playing with one of the soggy potato fries that came with the burger, idly shoving one in his mouth. His stomach was battling between growling with hunger, and threatening to turn anything he ate back onto the table. The others were eating contentedly, commenting that for hospital food the meal wasn't that bad.

"Hey Iggy, don't look so down. You'll be a dad in a few hours!" Gladiolus slapped him hard on the back, causing the man to cough on the piece of food in his mouth, hacking for a couple more seconds before groaning a bit, shaking his head.

"I should get back up there… what if she progresses suddenly or something goes wrong?" he asked.

"She promised to keep you updated man, she won't let you miss a thing. She'd probably kill you." Noctis teased. Ignis forced a chuckle, admitting he was right. Halfway through his meal he received a text, tapping the button to have the text read aloud in Aranea's voice; the application to do so having been something Aranea had designed with some help as an anniversary gift.

 _Hey sexy glasses, I've only dilated one more centimeter so enjoy your lunch. Contractions look normal, our little one's heart rate is fine, so try to only worry at a nine not a ten_

"See that, now eat something." Noctis pointed at Ignis with one of his fries before shoving it in his mouth.

"You act like you won't be driving everyone in Lucis insane with how panicked _you'll_ be when Luna here goes into labor." Gladiolus thumbed at her.

"Oh man, I can see it now. Sparkles walking into the bedroom nothing but poise and smiles, _Oh, Noctis my love, I do believe that it is entirely possible that I might be in labor. Perhaps it is prudent we go to the hospital?"_ Crowe raised her voice half an octave, doing her best to mimic the young woman's accent.

"I don't quite talk _that_ flowery!" Lunafreya protested, knitting her brows, her Shield laughing at her.

"Hell yeah you do. And you'll somehow be all calm when in labor because it's _you_. Meanwhile Noctis will probably scream and accidentally warp out a window without you in a rush to get to the hospital." Gladiolus laughed, concurring with Crowe. Lunafreya opened her mouth to protest but clamped it shut and stuck her tongue out, Noctis lifting his middle finger.

"It'll be a long day, do eat." Lunafreya finally stated when she found her voice gain, face low in a vain attempt to hide the deep red in her cheeks. "Aranea will need you to have your strength."

"Yeah that way it'll be harder to break your fingers." Gladiolus added.

"That is merely a trope from T.V and film." Ignis countered, but finally took a proper bite of his food earning a nod and a smile from the Oracle. "And I am about to be a father. I am far from my best." Ignis added, placing his food back down to sigh and push his glasses up his nose, the other hand running through his hair which was already losing its usual groom.

"You're holding up better than I will." Noctis laughed.

"It's still early. We shall see."


	11. The Little Alien

"So _this_ is that finger-breaking grip I was warned of." Ignis teased, keeping his grip on Aranea's hand while the other ran through her hair. It was difficult to watch her curl in on herself with pain, groaning and gasping through the contractions. She tried to force a chuckle, gasping to catch her breath as the latest contraction faded. Lunafreya sat on her other side and was gently rubbing her back, her light faint at her fingertips trying to ease some of the pain in her back at the very least. "You are doing wonderfully my darling…" Ignis leaned over, kissing Aranea's sweat-coated forehead.

"I'm sure I smell lovely." She commented with a slight chuckle.

"And when we put our little one onto your chest to snuggle up to you for the first time you'll smell like mother, and love, and welcome that baby into the world in the best way possible." He whispered, kissing her again. He didn't mind the smell of sweat and musk from the effort of enduring labor. He could smell the saline running through her IV, the plastic of the tubing and machinery, the electrical static from all the monitors.

Aranea wanted to quip back with something clever but her mind was swarming with pain and exhaustion. Six hours had passed since she had been admitted to the hospital, and it had felt like six days. She would have assumed she would have grown hungry by now, but she had done little more than chew on ice chips and even those made her nauseous after just three of them.

"How's our mother-to-be doing?" The nurses's voice called from the doorway.

"Just ducky!" Aranea quipped.

"I gotta ask, how's that pain from zero-to-ten?" she paused as she watched Aranea curl in on herself again, groaning and gripping her husband's hand so tight his fingertips turned deep red. "Ten?"

"Mmm…" Aranea whimpered.

"Once this contraction has passed please try to lie on your back, I want to check how close you are." She directed. Aranea nodded, her free hand over her abdomen as Ignis and Lunafreya continued their attentions. She had wanted to tell her friend to stop expending energy to put her light into her, but easing some of the back labor was making the ordeal a modicum more bearable. Once her tension began to slack, and her groan turned into panting breaths Lunafreya withdrew her hands, placing them on the bed rail instead.

"Lie back 'Nea," Ignis reminded her gently. Aranea nodded again, straining her mind to find words and rolled onto her back. "Shit this sucks. I mean…. I knew it would, but by the _Gods_." She rolled her head back, staring up at the ceiling. She followed the nurse's instructions to allow her to examine her, no longer caring someone had their fingers inside her to check the status of her dilation.

"I think you're just about ready to push. I'll go get the doctor, stay like that." She instructed. She vanished, reappering a short time later with the obstetrician in tow. The doctor checked her again, confirming the nurses assumption.

"Wait, where's she going?"

"I'll get her when it's time." The nurse looked up at Ignis and Lunafreya, "do you want them both there? I'm going to have you start pushing."

"They sure as shit aren't going _anywhere_." She answered back.

"I'm right here." Lunafreya confirmed, Ignis following suit with another kiss to her forehead. The nurse folded up some stirrups and lowered the end of the table so Aranea was perched on the very edge. She explained what she was doing as she helped her get into the appropriate position, pulling up a chair to sit.

"I want to you take a deep breath and when I count to ten I want you to hold your breath and bear down, understand?" Aranea nodded and groaned, feeling the next contraction, hands fluttering to her chest. She squeezed Ignis's hand and reached for Lunafreya's, who held her hands in both of her own.

"You are doing wonderfully Aranea."

"Soon enough you can pay me back for the broken fingers."

"Is that a promise?" she smiled as Aranea's grip turned vice-like until her fingers began to tingle. Lunafreya stayed by her friend's side, allowing Ignis to whisper and talk her through the labor between the nurses instructions of when to push and when to breath. After a half-hour the doctor came in to check on the progress.

"Good timing, I was about to come get you." She replied. The doctor nodded and vanished, reappearing shortly after with a cart. There was a lot of moving objects, opening blue-wrapped packages that were laid out carefully. Aranea was given more instructions in this flurry of action around her.

"Is… is something wrong?" Aranea asked, eyes flickering around the chaos.

"Nothing at all dear, sorry to scare you things are going perfectly, the baby's heart rate is doing just what it should." She assured her. Aranea let her upper body relax, struggling not to push while they got set up, the urge was so damned strong. By the third contraction the doctor was the one sitting between her legs and issuing instructions to breath, hold her breath, hold onto her legs, and when to push. She remembered a shout about seeing the head, and she nodded a _yes_ to the question of did she want to feel, Ignis helping guide her hand so she could feel the baby's head.

"You're so close my darling, so close, you're doing wonderfully." Ignis could feel the hard lump in his throat and the stinging in his good eye. He no longer cared about the ache in his hand, or the tingling in his fingertips. It only took a few more pushes and after a couple seconds of silence crying filled the room. Aranea went slack, but he could hear her exhausted panting, her groan of relief. He was surprised they asked him to cut the cord, and when he answered yes they were happy to help guide his hands and tell him when to cut.

"A healthy little boy!" the nurse announced.

"Sentis… my little Sentis?" Aranea panted. Her hospital johnny was pushed up and the crying baby was placed against her chest after a brief toweling. She quickly wrapped her arms around the crying baby, "Hello little Sentis… welcome to the world my little alien…" Ignis reached over, placing a hand on the baby's head, thumb stroking damp skin. The crying began to settle to short whimpers, and the nurse stated they still had to weigh and measure him. She let them pull Sentis off her chest.

"They're just cleaning him up," Lunafreya told her, and Ignis buried his face against Aranea's shoulder openly weeping.

"You did it… Oh you wonderful wonderful woman… you brought our little one into this world…" he stated between sobs, gripping her almost as hard as she had been moments ago.

"Three-point-one kilograms!" a nurse announced, and Aranea laughed, reaching her arms out as she saw the nurse walking towards her with the wrapped bundle.

"Ignis… you can hold our son." She panted, smiling through her own tears and fighting her exhaustion to stay awake. Ignis felt the small bundle placed in his arms and hugged him close.

"Not quite done yet dear," the nurse stated gently. She was walked through another series of pushes while Ignis cheered her between cooing their son, Lunafreya beside her gripping her hand and running a hand through her hair. Everything began to blur together, delivering the afterbirth and a vague awareness of needing a couple stitches. Ignis sobbed beside her and Lunafreya continued to cheer her and brush her hair. Her bed was adjusted and blankets placed on her. Her awareness drifted back to the present as Ignis held out their son to her once more and she held the bundle in her arms,

"My little Sentis…"


	12. Bramble

As my little one gets older and more mobile and more active writing is getting harder since I have to chase her around the house all day, but I do the best I can to keep bringing you guys updates and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Also, this chapter ended up a lot longer than usual (for this particular story) and I do hope you enjoy the extra-long chapter to compensate for the delay!

* * *

Lunafreya left the delivery room to allow the new parents some privacy, rejoining Noctis and their troupe of nervousness. She gave a shy smile and sheepish wave when they noticed her return, Noctis nearly stumbling over himself when he rushed to his feet asking for news, sitting when she reassured him and the others that the baby appeared perfectly healthy, and Aranea as well.

"A mini-Ignis. We're all in trouble now" Gladiolus chuckled, shaking his head. "By five that kid will have a better vocabulary than me and start lecturing me on theoretical particle physics." Prompto laughed, nodding in agreement.

"So what name did they settle on? They've been all secretive about it." Prompto asked.

"Sentis," Lunafreya answered. Everyone answered various murmurs and statements of their approval for the name choice.

"As soon as you year that name you think to yourself, _yup, that's specs's kid._ " Crowe commented.

"Should we all go invade yet?" Prompto asked, rifling through his shoulder bag debating which lens or filter would be best for a newborn photo-shoot. "I want some pictures!"

"I'm fairly certain Aranea may ensure we find your name in the obituaries of the Insomnia Times should you appear in that room with your camera, regardless of your intent to snap a photograph of her or her child." Lunafreya chuckled, certain that the last thing Aranea would want at this time was any visitor apart from her husband.

"Yeah… maybe you're right. But I want to see my unofficial nephew!" he pouted.

"Give the girl a chance to breath, she just rocketed a _mini human_ out her baby canon!" Crowe shouted. "Imagine trying to push a-"

"I'm gonna cut you off right there." Gladiolus interrupted, sure she was about to give a metaphor that would give him nightmares for a month.

"What? You're pretty damn interested in the part that puts a baby _in_ a woman, can't handle it coming _out?"_ She quipped back. Gladiolus groaned, shaking his head. "guess it's a good thing you never knocked anyone up, you'd pass out in the delivery room!" She added, getting a middle finger in reply.

"Man… Iggy's always been taking care of us now he's like, _literally_ a dad." Prompto mused, swinging the subject after swallowing back his own squeamishness. Noctis flinched when he felt his phone buzz in his pocket, scoffing at himself before reaching to pull the device out, thumbing his password after seeing an unread message from Ignis on his lock screen.

[Iggy] Noctis, I wish to introduce you to your nephew.

"Always straight to the point." Noctis chuckled, "Hey guys I'll be back Iggy wants me to meet the _little alien_."

"Careful, he might slap you if he catches you calling his perfect child such." Lunafreya teased, giving him a smile and a _go ahead_ gesture.

"I'll try not to come back with a black eye." He waved, promising Prompto he would take plenty of pictures on his phone to show him while he waited his own turn. He walked down the hall to Aranea's delivery room, rapping gently on the door and poking his head in. A nurse at the door had advised him how exhausted she would be and he answered Ignis had asked him to come down the hall. He waved to his friend when he saw him turn his head, a small bundle of blankets in his arms.

"Noct," he greeted, tilting his head in a _come here_ gesture. Noctis followed the prompt looking down at the newborn in his arms. "This is our Sentis…" he spoke in a quiet voice. It was already apparent this was clearly his child, or perhaps his lifelong friendship with Ignis was skewing his opinion. His hair, if he had any, was hidden beneath the iconic blue and pink hospital cap that matched the stripes on the white blanket wrapped around him.

"He's so tiny." Noctis marveled, and suddenly hoped Ignis wasn't about to ask him to hold him. How was he supposed to hold something so small and fragile? _Will our own one be this small?_ He wondered, and couldn't help the creeping nervousness.

"Don't say that to Aranea or she'll remind you he didn't feel small on the way out." Ignis joked, getting a laugh from Noctis,

"I bet!" He turned his head to said woman who was fast asleep in the bed, curled up on her side. A distant part of his mind envisioned Lunafreya lying in a hospital bed, exhausted from delivering their child, but the image felt far away and dream-like. As if it were only imaginary and not his impending reality. He wondered how the ever-involved Ignis handled having to be helpless during the delivery, able to do little more than provide support and watch.

"You want to hold him?" Ignis asked, Noctis putting on a nervous smile.

"Nervous to be honest." He answered. "I mean you know me and fragile things." Ignis shook his head, standing slowly and deliberately, tilting his head at the chair for Noctis to sit down. The Prince sat, licking his lips and reached out for the bundle Ignis was handing to him.

"You need some practice Uncle Noct." He joked. "He's so perfect…" Ignis stated, marveling down at the gift Aranea had given him as he passed Sentis to Noctis. By the Astrals he wished he could see him. But he could feel him, smell him, hear him. He had traced Sentis's tiny features, thumb finding the outline of his ear. Aranea had described to him the things he couldn't detect on his own, the newborn's eyes and hair. How he was almost pale enough to put Lunafreya to shame. The newborn shifted inside his swaddle, cooing for a moment before settling back to sleep leaving the men letting out a sigh of relief that they wouldn't yet have to wake the sleeping Aranea to feed him.

"Congrats man," Noctis answered back, holding the baby close to him, looking down at his tiny scrunched features. "looks like you."

"Until he opens his eyes, he has her eyes. And hair."

"Hey take a picture with my phone, Prompto will kill me otherwise… umm or take it with your phone and text it to me." He corrected, knowing Ignis's phone had adaptive buttons and a face-finding feature to make snapping pictures possible if he followed the device's prompts. He pulled it out as suggested, more than happy to record his pride and joy. He aimed the phone at Sentis, swiveling it around until the phone chirped and began telling him _left_ and _down_ until it finally stated _face centered_ and he pushed a button.

"I can't tell if I got you or him, it only tells me when it finds face." Ignis admitted, holding his phone out to Noctis.

"Perfect! Man… that's like, a miracle phone huh?" Noctis wondered. Ignis nodded, smiling a bit.

"I feel less pathetic with it." Noctis winced at the word, but Ignis continued speaking before he could protest. "I hope I can give Sentis everything he needs and deserves." It was not the first time Ignis had admitted this concern to Noctis, and he knew it would not be the last. He sighed, letting out an amused chuckle.

"Your eyes haven't stopped you yet" He reassured. "Besides, doesn't Aranea think your scars are pretty much the sexiest thing ever?" he spun, and now it was Ignis's turn to laugh.

"So she states." Sentis began to stir again, and Noctis furrowed his brows, wondering if has holding him right and if he was the reason the baby was beginning to stir.

"Besides, I've never seen you look so happy." Noctis added to his previous statement, lightly rocking the infant.

"I've never been so happy." He answered with a smile. Noctis heard the slight waver in Ignis's voice, but chose not to comment on it. Ignis had his head down, hitting various buttons and listening to the voice on the phone with the volume set to minimum, and after a few moments put the phone back in his pocket.

"I sent the photo to you, as well as the others. I feel that Lunafreya may have her heart melt inside her chest at the image of you holding a baby." Ignis joked. "I would say that you face the risk of baby-fever, but that ship has sailed."

"Not just her." Noctis smirked. Noctis felt a moment of frustration at the stereotype that only women could get _baby fever_ or feel excitement at the prospect of a baby. Ignis was the happiest he had ever seen him, and he recalled the overwhelming joy that had turned him into a ball of tears when Lunafreya had revealed her pregnancy to him. Sentis stirred again, his cooes turning into early whimpers, lips puckering at the air. "am I doing this wong?" he wondered. He had been sleeping so soundly in Ignis's arms.

"I imagine that he may be growing hungry. "

"Oh." He was relieved that it wasn't him, but felt a bit surprised that he was hungry already.

"I should give him back then." He suggested.

"Let me wake 'Nea then you can hand him to her." Ignis turned and reached for the bedrail, gripping it with one hand and reaching out with the other. He awkwardly brushed Aranea's nose, moving his hand higher to brush some hair from her face, "My darling… I do hate to wake you, but I must." She mumbled in reply, opening her eyes, looking up at him.

"Ugh… huh?" she asked, momentarily dazed.

"It appears Sentis may be hungry." Ignis explained gently, frowning a bit that he couldn't allow her to rest more after her ordeal. She was determined to breastfeed, and thus he was forced to wake her.

"Oh." She answered, yawning and stretching. She shifted in the bed with a groan, "Ugh gods it feels like someone kicked me in the crotch with steel-toed boots!" she complained. Noctis felt his face immediately burn, the heat spreading down his neck, eyes staring straight forward.

"Umm Noctis is here, to meet Sentis." Ignis suggested. Aranea realized that he was indeed sitting in the chair beside her, and felt her own cheeks heat up a bit, issuing an apology for her blunt statement. Noctis shrugged and gave her an awkward smile reassuring her that it was fine, admitting he couldn't imagine how uncomfortable she could be. "The nurse had mentioned to call her if you needed something for pain."

"Would it be bad for Sentis?" Aranea asked.

"I do not believe they would have made the offer should it be dangerous for the baby." Ignis provided, and the answer seemed to satisfy her as she admitted that she would be very amenable to the idea of something for her discomfort.

"Umm I'll leave you guys to it. You must be tired so me and Luna should go home." He stood, very slowly, holding Sentis close to his chest as he did so. He took one last glance at the baby who was whining more than before, holding him out to Aranea who was happy to reach out and pull him towards her, a broad smile washing away the fatigue written into her features, eyes bright as she cooed and whispered to her newborn son.

"Thank you for coming." Ignis stated, reaching out to pull Noctis into a hug with Sentis secure in Aranea's arms. Noctis returned his friend's embrace,

"Like I'd miss it." He swallowed back a pang of guilt for the delay and tried to simply be grateful he was able to make it at all. "Congrats again man." He pulled back, a smile plastered on Ignis face. He gave him one final grip on the shoulder before parting from the room. Everyone in the waiting room was chattering about how adorable Sentis was, wishing they had more than one picture to ogle. The others wanted to visit Ignis and Aranea as well to meet, _the new ball of poop and puke_ , as Gladiolus had called him, but agreed to wait until the next day after Noctis reminded them all of how exhausted the new family was.

The limited sleep she had gotten during the night struck Lunafreya once her and Noctis returned to the Citadel. Her muscles were protesting her long day, and despite her desire to spend the remainder of the evening relaxing in the sylleblossums garden with a book their bed was calling her. She had stated as much to Noctis, asking if he would be joining her and he promised he would after he got himself something to eat.

The bed was neatly made by the Citadel staff, one of the books she was reading lying on her end table. She had a habit of leaving them scattered about, so no matter where she took root she would have something to read. Noctis had often teased her about how she kept track of being in the middle of so many books at once, and inquired about gnomes running about the Citadel when he had found a book by her bed, his desk, on her chair in the gardens, the seat of the Regalia II, and one left on the kitchen table. Usually she only worked on two books at a time, and was surprised herself she had left so many lying all over the place. The one currently beside the bed had a bookmark a bit more than three-quarters of the way through and she was sure she would finish it tonight and hoped she would have the energy to get another one from the library unless she ended up falling asleep.

She opened the book up, a smirk coming to her face as she remembered where she was in the story. Deeply immersed in a particularly tense scene, only partially noticing when Noctis entered the bedroom. She only looked up when he shouted her name, and she realized he had probably been trying to catch her attention without startling, her sudden jolt telling him he wasn't very successful.

"Sorry, you know how I get once I get deep into a good book," she offered in way of an apology. He chuckled at her, shaking his head.

"Figured you were hungry too to so brought you something." He ignored the way he had startled her, knowing by now that calling attention to it by apologizing would only make her face glow red and she would become defensive. She had always been quite jumpy, and it was at its worst sometimes when she was distracted.

"Oh, thank you." She smiled, realizing her exhaustion was so overwhelming she had forgotten to feed herself. Come to think of it, when was the last time she had eaten? Her brow furrowed as she tried to recall, putting the bookmark into her book and setting it aside as Nocits came up to the bed.

"Don't spill it on the sheet Ignis would kill me." He smirked, handing her an over-sized bowl filled with a savory smelling broth, and peering inside Lunafreya noticed that it was egg-drop soup, one of her favorites.

"Oh, thank you!" she repeated. She took a bite, ignoring Noctis's warning about the heat.

"How do you eat food _that_ hot?!" he shook his head at her, his own tongue burning at the thought.

"I've always quite enjoyed my food piping-hot. Perhaps a side-effect of growing up with the climate of Tenebrae." She shrugged, taking another bite. The cooks of the Citadel had come to know their Queen and her preferences quite well, and this particular batch of the soup was not disappointing.

"Well if you can still taste anything I also brought you a sandwich, a big bowl of soup isn't really enough when you're eating for two." He suggested.

"Misnomer," she retorted. "I don't have to double my calories, but you aren't incorrect in stating that I must eat more than a bowl of soup." She admitted. Her appetite had always been fickle, a trait worsened by the pregnancy and the ever-looming threat of morning sickness. The timing of it always felt random, and she wondered how it got its moniker since it didn't seem to ever actually strike in the morning. She recalled Aranea telling her as much early in her own pregnancy. She shrugged it off, assuming that perhaps the two of them were just anomalies. "What did you end up eating?"

"Umm some of that soup, you really got me sold on the stuff. The leftover chicken from yesterday, and a sandwich. And maybe some cookies." She looked at him expectedly, quirking a brow at him and he couldn't keep a straight face. He wanted to tease her and pretend he had finished them off, but _damnit_ that smirk on her face always got him to break. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a small bag holding two cookies for her as well. At least she would never chide him for indulging in dessert, her own sweet tooth could almost put his to shame. _At least I eat plant-matter!_ She would always yell at him defensively when he teased her for opting for something sugary.

"Trying to fatten me up?" she asked with a slight chuckle. She wasn't sure she could even eat all the food he had brought, but for the sake of the speck of life inside of her she would certainly try. She wanted to give the speck as good a head-start in life as she could, determined to follow all of Ignis's overwhelming amount of advice, Aranea's warnings of the parts of pregnancy that were less-than-enjoyable, and the inevitability of Noctis's anxiety and overprotectiveness.

"How else can I get someone as hot as you to stick with me?" he teased. She almost choked on a bite of soup, pressing the back of her hand to her mouth and burning her throat slightly as she forced a swallow, nose burning from the broth that backed its way near her sinuses as a result of laughing with her mouth full.

"Indeed, how?" she asked. Noctis chuckled, patting her firmly on the back sure that the crimson on her cheeks was more a result of her embarrassment than the near-choking. A couple light coughs and a rather un-ladylike snort to try and clear her sinuses and Lunafreya was able to stop coughing and let out a genuine chuckle. "Are you so sure about that _hot_ comment?"

"Hey now we're back in the same league!" he teased, thumping at his chest triumphantly, "my plan worked!"

"Your plan was to call me hot, get me to choke on my food so I would snort like some animal, all to reassure I would not go running off with Prince Charming?" she quirked a brow, "quite convoluted. It contains more than one step, are you sure this was not Ignis's doing and you came up with this on your own?"

"Hey!" he shouted, crossing his arms and shaking his head at her. "Well now my feelings are hurt." He pouted, jutting his bottom lip at her. She tried to keep her eyes locked on the bowl in her hands, but her gaze flicked over to him, smirk pulling at her lips. "My heart hurts, can the Oracle fix that?" he asked, dropping himself dramatically beside her, fists over his chest.

"I suppose I shall have to make it up to you." She admitted, "though you best let me eat while my food is still hot."

"What? I wasn't doing anything." He insisted.

"Oh, I am sure your mind is filled with nothing but purity." She rolled her eyes. He laughed, hitching himself up on one arm,

"I don't think I'll ever get used to sarcasm from you. Fifty years from now you'll say something sarcastic and I'll have to pinch myself to make sure I'm not hallucinating."

"Think you can put up with me for fifty years? Quite confident you are." She smiled, a blush touching her cheeks at the thought of him lying beside her so many decades from now, sharing the same teasing banter that they were now.

"Well you have eternal patience somehow, so I know even if I drive you out of your mind you'll stick around. Or maybe just out of sheer stubbornness. And you've clearly cast some kind of magic on me because I'm completely enamored."

"And I assure you, I am as well my scruffy Prince." she smiled. Noctis pulled his phone from his pocket, flicking through it and choosing a movie to watch while Lunafreya ate, telling the device to stream to the television in their bedroom. He selected the first movie he found that he knew they both enjoyed, hitching himself up to lean against the head of the bed as Lunafreya enjoyed her meal, somehow finishing the soup, sandwich, and cookies without leaving a trace of food on the bed. It was almost as if she had never committed the grievous crime of eating in bed. He wasn't sure she could be messy even if she tried. She set her dishes aside on the end table, her slight frown evidence of her distaste for being too exhausted to bring them back to the kitchens, or even to place it in the dumbwaiter across the room. The ache in her legs had grown, and she knew she had little endurance left now that she had gotten herself to bed. Wanting to change her expression, Noctis scooted closer to her, an arm winding behind her and tugging on her waist.

"Hmm?" she hummed at his touch, turning her head to meet his gaze. He mumbled a quiet _I love you_ beside her, words muffled as he brought his lips to her shoulder, tugging lightly at her shirt. "Mmm… I don't think this is comfortable to sleep in." he commented.

"While I quite like where that thought may lead, I find myself a bit too exhausted to chase such a line of thinking." She admitted, cheeks flushing as she began to imagine the things she wanted to do with him.

"Still, pretty sure this isn't the most comfortable thing to sleep in," he insisted, hitching himself up. He held himself up with one arm, leaning towards her and cupped her cheek with his other hand to brush his thumb along her cheek. His eyes closed a moment after watching her close hers, head tilting to meet his lips, her sigh tickling his cheek. She leaned more against him, a second kiss lingering longer than the first. She shifted, feeling the tugging at the shoulder seam from the form-fitting shirt she had on.

"You may have a point about this shirt." She admitted.

"Let me grab you something." Lunafreya smiled and whispered a small thanks, turning her head in a vain attempt to hide her flush that she lacked the energy to pull herself from bed to fetch it herself. She watched him cross the room to their dresser, opening the drawer in which she stored her sleep clothes. She wanted to suggest one of his shirts, cheeks heating up further at the thought of making her request. She adored wearing his clothing, feeling cozy and protected in the loose articles that smelled like him. The way he would tell her how damned _good_ she looked in black, the contrast of wearing a large baggy shirt against her usual fitting clothes simply _hot_ by the contrast. But she retained her request for herself. She smirked when she saw he pulled up a black satin set of short-sleeved pajamas, purchased a size too large, and she was sure that it was intentional.

"That looks perfect." She commented when he held it up, an inquiring look on his face. He smiled and almost skipped back to the bed, leaping up on it and leaning over her,

"Well, this tired Queen should allow her King to assist her." He started, thumb hooking under her collar, "she has had a long day." He added.

"I suppose a tired Queen should not protest aide from her dear King," she answered back. Her smile reflected his, dropping her arms beside her head as he shifted up, his fingers working the buttons of her top. His lips brushed against her collarbone, and she cursed her fatigue. His kisses trailed up, his tongue dancing against her skin between playful nips against her neck, his fingers slowly working the buttons of her shirt in a dance she wasn't sure if he was struggling with it, or being purposely sensual.

He sat back after spending a prolonged period with the last button, letting out a frustrated grunt. She sighed as his lips ceased their ministrations against her neck, a light giggle in her throat as she watched him sit back, nearly cross-eyed as he stared at the last button, letting out a frustrated _really?!_

"Perhaps you require some assistance?" she asked. But before she could lift her arms he straddled her, hands gripping her wrists to push them harder against the bed,

"I did say I would help you change, I'm gonna stand by that. So don't you move those hands." He insisted. He leaned down to interrupt her reply with a kiss, moaning slightly against her mouth. Lunafreya tried to relax further against the sheets, giving herself up to Noctis's attentions as he fumbled for several more seconds with her button, pushing the shirt back roughly once finally getting the stubborn thing undone.

"Easier to do that if you let me sit up." She teased, sticking her tongue out at him when he wrinkled his nose at her. She sat up, rolling her shoulders back to allow Noctis to push her shirt away, tossing it over the edge of the bed. She made a mental note not to trip on it in the morning, their stone floor not fond of any form of fabric resulting in more than one fall from the royal pair when stepping on discarded clothes. _I must remember to request a rug, at least for under the bed_ she allowed a practical thought to interrupt their moment until his lips crashed against her neck again, his nip hard enough to make her yelp in surprise,

"Hmm… was that a good yelp?" he asked,

"You'll leave a mark," she answered, cheeks heating up as she felt a bit embarrassed to admit that _yes,_ she had indeed liked the unexpected zing.

"Wouldn't want that," he suggested, but nipped her again, her yelp this time a gasp, arching her back slightly, shoulders shrugging tightly, turning her head towards him to push him away from her neck. "Worried you'll make the other ladies jealous? Can't blame them who wouldn't want the emo-King with a limp?" he teased.

"Just as all the men swoon at the Oracle with circles around her eyes and the endurance of a newborn anak?" she quipped back. They shared a light chuckle, long ago foregoing reassuring each other over their shortcomings.

"Does my anak wish to sleep in this bra or can I struggle it off too?" he asked. She mocked an exaggerated irritated expression, nose wrinkled and eyes squinting. She hesitated as if she were pondering the question but she sure as hell wanted _out_ of her bra, and was more than happy to encourage him to do so. She bit her lip, watching him remove it and again cursed how exhausted she felt, wanting nothing more than to cave to desire but remaining sitting up to slip her sleeping shirt on. Her pants took far less effort to remove, his fingers sliding agonizingly slow down her legs. He paused at one point to plant a kiss atop her thigh, and the inside of her knee, casting the pants aside.

Noctis knew how she liked to sleep, and hooked his thumbs under the waistband of her undergarment, wishing she wasn't quite so tired since he felt like he was teasing himself worse than he was teasing her. He could feel the tension in his pants and had a feeling he would need a cold shower before changing and crawling into bed himself, questioning the wisdom of his decision to help her change her clothing this way. But he loved the taste of her skin beneath his tongue, cheeks glowing with pride at the two faint red marks on her neck that he was somewhat sure would be gone by morning. He thought about tasting more than just her skin, taking a moment to look at her, but when he caught her eye he could see the fatigue she was fighting against, and the way she pressed her knees together shot down any lingering thought he might have. He promised to himself he would give her one hell of a morning, and awkwardly helped her slide the pants up to her waist, letting her grip the waistband to set it comfortably, tying it tight so it wouldn't fall off her the moment she stepped out of bed.

"I love you," he whispered, looking at her now clad in black. Because _godsdamn_ he loved her in black. He flushed at his possessive pride, enjoying the sight of her in his family colors and the marks _he_ left on her.

"And I you," she answered, words garbled with a yawn. She shifted onto her side after she reached for the blankets, tugging it up to her shoulders. The fact she slept under the comforter was a clue to how exhausted she was, she typically slept only under a sheet, but growing chilled when she let herself grow overtired.

"You should spend the day in bed tomorrow…"

"I've been in bed all evening and feel myself drifting to sleep, yet it is hardly late." She answered back. Her eyes were closed, speech quiet. He slipped into bed himself, shifting close to the center of the bed and reached an arm around her. Once his palm reached her waist Lunafreya shifted back, and felt Noctis shimmy further onto her side of the bed to envelope her fully in his embrace, her back pressed against his chest, his arm wound around her and his knees tucked up behind hers. Sometimes she would shift his arm when the weight of hit aggravated an old pain from long-healed rib fractures, but tonight there was no pain, and without that old pain to tug her back to old memories she drifted off to sleep, safe and content.


	13. Doomed

I hope everyone still enjoys this pointless little fluff piece :)

* * *

Lunafreya moaned as she drifted away from the odd dream occupying her sleep. She tried to gather her blurry fragmented senses and the pieces of images into a thought that made sense, trying to cling to the dream that was already slipping away from her memory. A dull ache in her body helped bring her to reality, as did an odd pressure against her upper thigh... a pattern? Was something bumping against her?

"Noct?" she mumbled, shifting her position forward slightly but his arm wound around her waist and the tapping against her thigh continued. Her eyes snapped open when she realized what was happening. "Are… are you honestly doing that?!" she asked, voice raising when it hit what he was doing. It was his hips rocking back and forth, making his morning condition quite obvious.

"What? Your libido's been more intense than mine lately! Figured I'd cut to the chase since you'd be tearing my pants off in a few minutes anyways."

"Always the romantic Noct." She rolled her eyes, "perhaps your right hand is a better date this morning, I myself would prefer a touch more sleep." She quipped.

"My right hand is already on a date" He shot back, and she squeaked when his hand snaked under the waistband of her pajama bottom and between her thighs, "Doesn't feel like my right hand would rather be on a date with someone else." His fingers shifted forward and a bit higher, smirking when she tilted her hips to aid him, "I get the feeling you don't want that either." He mumbled, bringing his lips to her neck and he could feel the rumble of her quiet moan beneath his tongue. She finally turned, and it made it far easier for him to curl his hand around her, moving his fingers in the patterns he knew drove her wild.

Lunafreya rolled her hips, and Noctis responded to her motions with his own, keeping his hand between them as he climbed over her. His lips claimed hers, his moan muffling her sigh, her sharp exhale tickling his cheek when a third finger entered her, the palm of his hand pushing hard against her clit and rolling against her. She arched beneath him, any irritation from being woken vanished as she admitted _godsdamn_ it felt incredible to start her morning this way. The warmth started low her belly and began to roll through her. She lolled her head back against the pillows, heels digging into the bed mussing the sheets while she gasped and sighed before finally relaxing against the sheets. But Noctis gave her little reprieve, nimbly undoing two of the buttons on her top to slip his free hand through the gap, cupping her breast. She whimpered when his mouth parted from hers, but gasped when he nipped at the side of her neck, responding to her expected _don't leave a mark_ warning with another bite.

"Your hand should be on a date too." He murmured, his tongue brushing against the pink spot on her neck.

"Perhaps you would be more satisfied with…" she felt the heat rise in her cheeks as the words formed in her mind and she struggled to speak them despite all they had done together through the months. "a date with my tongue?" she managed, lightly pushing on his chest with her hands. Noctis followed her gesture, laying back, his hands sliding out of her clothing.

"I think you overdressed for this date." He commented. Lunafreya flushed, trying to give him a sexy smirk but felt her ears heat up at the attempt. She locked her eyes with his as her fingers worked the buttons of her top, moving deliberately slow as she swung her leg over to straddle him. He rocked his hips up against her, the source of the pressure she woke up to against pressed against her thigh. She shrugged the top of slowly, leaving Noctis whining before she finally let the garment fall back off of her. Noctis smiled at her breasts, always having loved them; but she shimmied back before he could reach for them, whining that he couldn't run his thumb over her perked nipples, and roll them between his fingers in the ways he knew would make her squeak and gasp. She began to untie the top of his sleep pants, giving them a tug but her slow gestures left him impatient and he arched his back to tug the bottoms off, hooking them with his toes to remove them and his boxers and kick them off. Lunafreya dropped onto the bed beside him to avoid being kneed in the groin with his hasty movements, the pair laughing at the awkwardness of his impatience.

Lunafreya laid over Noctis, silencing any witty remark he had hiding on the back of his tongue when she used her own to taste him, and she could have sworn she felt him become even harder as she took him into her mouth. Her hand slowly gripped him, fingers teasing, hand and tongue moving together as she closed her eyes, enjoying the sound of him sighing and moaning in reaction to her. Despite their years together, she still flushed and felt a surge of pride at just how much he seemed to enjoy this. And, as he told her often, she was simply _good_ at it. Noctis tried to minimize the bucking of his hips, chuckling a shy apology when said bucking caused her to momentarily gag and pull back, needing a moment before returning to her task after a light laugh of her own. Eventually his breathing became quicker, his moans higher pitched, and she knew he was close. She had never learned to adjust to the taste of his climax, but he had never tried to pressure her to. He groaned through it, Lunafreya enjoying the lust-filled expression on his face and letting her pride get the best of her.

Noctis pulled his shirt off to assist with aftercare, carefully folding it up to take care of later, because he was far from finished with his wife. She curled up next to him, nestling into her pillow instead of his shoulder, her usual sign that her intention was more sleep. He reached over to her, tugging on her hip to press it against his, though it would be a few more minutes before he was quite ready.

"You aren't serious. Is your intention to render me bed-bound for the entirety of the day?" she asked, eyes stubbornly closed but the threat of a smirk tugging at the edges of her mouth.

"An entire day in bed with you? Man, that sounds awful. Terrible. No way I'd ever want that." He tisked.

"Pure torture, whatever shall this Queen do?" she murmured. He smiled, knowing he had her. He leaned over her and she followed his motions as he laid her gently onto her back. Their hands touched, their tongues tasted, and it wasn't long before Noctis was ready to again drive Lunafreya wild and writhing. Her knees parted for him, and he reached between them to guide him to her, sliding into her with one roll of his hips. Her sharp intake of breath was masked by his light moan. He moved his hand to press his thumb where they were joined, beginning to roll his thumb before his hips started rocking.

She gasped at his motion, her face glowing pink when her eyes drifted to where they were joined, a throb pulsing through her as she watched. Her eyes flicked back up to catch Noctis's eyes, but once he picked up the pace of his motions she let out a short whine, lifting her knees and pressing them against his sides while her head lolled back and her eyes closed so she could revel in her other senses. _This is just too good_ she thought, the praise almost reaching her voice but her short gasps and sighs came out instead. She crossed her ankles across his back, and Noctis moaned at the new angle, altering his pace dropping more of his weight against her and she met his thrusts by rolling her hips, though the attentions of his thumb were making any semblance of thought impossible. She wound her arms over his shoulders when he pressed his face against her neck, panting too hard and too focused on his motions to kiss her neck or her cheek. But his frantic breathing tickled her neck and she flushed at how erotic it felt. They held each other tight, moving together, completely consumed by each other and trying to be as close as their frantic motions would allow. Her climax hit her like an electric shock, starting with a warmth in her stomach and shooting through her limbs, her sighs turning into quivering breaths as she tensed beneath him. She felt him follow shortly after, the curious but intimate warmth as he pushed against her with a deep grunt, limbs tense. They remained joined for several moments. Their limbs shook, and it took them several moments to find the wherewithal to part from each other.

"Mmm… that… that was incredible." Lunafreya praised, face flushed, panting between words as she tried to catch her breath when Noctis rolled from her, dropping himself onto his pillows. "This may be the best we've ever had… _Gods_ Noct that was…"

"Hey! I wasn't _that_ bad before!" Noctis shot back, and Lunafreya couldn't resist laughing at the feigned offense on his face.

"I merely mean… we weren't trying to accomplish something other than enjoy being together. There was no other goal… And it just made it… well, _quite_ the morning." She flushed pressing her knees together as she thought about how _godsdamned_ incredible Noctis was in bed. The thought of the intensity of her climax nearly riled her back up again, and she tried to tame these wild desires, exhausted from their extended morning as heat once again spread across her face, her neck itching.

"Well… you're pretty great yourself." He offered back, reaching an arm towards her. "For someone who was so tired you sure knew what the hell you were doing." He added, turning his head to smirk at her. Holy hell did she look amazing lying beside him, chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath, nipples still perked her face and neck stained pink. Even her ears seemed to glow. She turned onto her side, reaching out and smiled, shifting over in the bed and resting her head against his shoulder, listening to his rapid heartbeat and smelling the light sweat on his skin. She was warm against him, but he pulled her closer, turning to kiss the crown of her head. He murmured endearments against her hair, smiling when she returned them and let himself drift back to sleep with his Queen wrapped around him.

A buzz and a short chime pulled Lunafreya from her sleep. Her week had been filled with more intense nights with Noctis, punctuated by mornings that were somehow even better. She was often left a blushing trembling mess of limbs before he would kiss her and part from her for the day, doing his best to compensate with his work for Ignis's absence after insisting the man take a proper paternal leave to bond with his newborn son, and tend to his wife. He would always offer to carry her to the gardens, and she would always decline. She turned up onto her side, looking at the phone on the end table and saw the screen had lit up, reaching out to grab it.

 _[Aranea] Hey there stranger._

She tried to blink the fatigue out of her eyes and focus on the message on her screen. She yawned, setting the phone back down after realizing it wasn't urgent, giving herself several minutes before trying to reply. She sat up and stretched, her lower back and shoulders snapping and popping as she did so, elbows following suit when she stretched her arms in front of her, and then proceeded to curl her fingers to crack her knuckles as well, wondering how on Eos Noctis could find her appealing when most of her mornings started with this concert of joints. The fatigue began to drift away, and she groaned when she realized how _late_ it was. She had fallen back to sleep after a morning liaison with Noctis and it was now ten in the morning.

 _[Luna] Good morning. How are you and your little Sentis?_

She was still slow at typing, but once her message was sent she set the phone down on the table to sit up on the edge of the bed. She let her legs dangle for a moment as she squinted, feeling slightly dizzy from sitting up too quickly. She stood, pausing to make sure she wouldn't grow lightheaded and fall a few paces from the bed. As she walked to her closet her phone chimed again. She looked at her clothing and picked a simple pale blue dress. She walked back to sit on the bed to get dressed, reaching over to grab her phone

 _[Aranea] This alien is a bit too adorable to handle, trying not to barf on him from how cute he is. I on the other hand feel like a wet noodle that got kicked between the legs with steel toed boots covered in sandpaper_

 _[Luna] That was quite the vivid image_

She typed her reply after a wince, casting a glance down at herself and couldn't help a moment of apprehension at this glimpse of her future. She set the phone down again to dress, picking up her night clothes to place them in the dumbwaiter for the Citadel staff to attend to. Her phone chimed again, and she grabbed it, as well as a book, to head down to her garden to pass the afternoon.

 _[Aranea] Yeah but Ignis is doting as ever he barely lets me get up out of bed or off the couch insisting on doing everything for me so I just lay here all day cuddling the cutest thing in all of creation_

 _[Luna] Hasn't Ignis always been the doting type? I think it possible he would explode if not taking care of someone._

 _[Aranea] Cant argue with u on that one_

Following the text was a picture, and she smiled at it. It was Sentis, asleep, curled against his mother's chest. He was dressed in clothing that appeared to big for him, but he looked comfortable. Lunafreya blushed, wondering what it would be like when she laid in her bed with a baby sleeping on her. With her phone beside her as she spent the day texting friends and just enjoying snuggling with her newborn, reading books or watching movies when she felt she needed some sound. She pondered for a moment if Noctis would dote on her the way she was sure Ignis was doting on Aranea, and nearly laughed at herself for even questioning it.

 _[Luna] Far too adorable for words, I fear I may explode_

 _[Aranea] Ah can't blow up on me who the hell would I bother all day_

 _[Luna] Conduct an experiment as Ignis would, send me another picture of that far-too-adorable infant._

Another picture came in reply, causing Lunafreya to snort. The baby's tiny hand was curled, save for his middle finger.

 _[Luna] At least we know now that there is no question of parentage_

 _[Aranea] If this kid is already just like me boy is he screwed_

 _[Luna] You have Ignis around, he stands a chance._

 _[Aranea] Hah! That probably only means hes even more doomed!_

 _[Luna] No more screwed than my future child. I mean, you have met both Noctis and I. Do you honestly feel our child fares any better?_

 _[Aranea] The future of Lucis is doomed._

 _[Luna] Doomed._

She chuckled at her friend, making a mental note to visit soon. Her legs ached when she stood and another wash of dizziness caused her to hesitate before stepping away from the edge of the bed, and decided she wanted to go say hello to her King before settling into the garden. His door was shut, as he had grown accustomed to, but he hadn't warned her of any meetings or reasons to cause her to hesitate before rapping on the door. She pushed it open when he called _come in_ , head popping up from his desk and a smile overtaking his features when he fsaw her.

"Hey Luna." He smiled, getting up to meet her beside the desk. She placed her phone and book on the edge and stood on her toes to peck his cheek, smiling when he pulled her against his chest. "I was just thinking I needed a break." He placed a kiss on her ear, and her shoulders shrugged with a giggle,

"That tickles…"

"Why do you think I did it?" he quipped back. She smiled, standing on her toes again to meet his lips, biting down on his bottom lip slightly. He got the hint, opening his mouth to her and tasting her kiss, tongues dancing. He moaned against her lips, arms pulling her closer. When she parted from him and sank back onto her feet he brought a hand to her cheek, thumb tracing her collar bone, "So what was that for?" he asked.

"I need a reason?" she answered back, a smile on her face. Her palms rested on his chest, slipping beneath the edges of his coat to play with the fabric of his shirt. Her finger idly traced at one of the buttons, admiring the silver metal used on the black shirt. He watched her for a moment, and kissed the top of her head. She hadn't styled her hair, it appeared as if she had done little more this day than run her fingers through it. But there was a calm beauty in the natural way her hair sat, lightly kinked and placed. She tucked a lock behind her ear and dropped her other hand off his chest. "Hungry?" she asked.

"Always. Feeling okay I assume?" he asked. Her fickle appetite was worse than ever, but she muscled through to try and ensure she ate enough, despite how often she was rendered kneeling in the bathroom vomiting.

"I feel quite good today. Perhaps it has to do with how you started my morning?" she smirked, closing her eyes and tilting her head to meet him for a kiss. She lingered, sighing slowly through her nose before she took a step back from him.

"Maybe we should start all our mornings like that!" he encouraged. She smirked, and then her brows shot up,

"Oh! Aranea sent me a picture!" she reached to the desk and grabbed her phone, thumbing at it until she brought up the picture of Sentis, Noctis bursting into laughter when he realized what the child was doing.

"Definitely Aranea's kid!" he pulled the phone from Lunafreya's hand to admire it. "Ignis is in for a run for his money."

"Let's hope our bundle takes after _you_ or man, we're double screwed. Bet he has some proud parents, first middle finger at a week old!"

"I can only imagine the trouble they shall get into should they become playmates." She laughed. And gods did she hope they would. She never wanted any child of hers to feel the crippling loneliness that was her companion growing up. "My legs are beginning to ache, if you want lunch I suggest we should have it soon." She admitted. It was more than her legs. Her whole body felt wound up, and already her stomach was beginning to knot up.

"Want me to carry you?" he offered, but she shook her head. She reached and grabbed his hand, ignoring the tingle in her fingertips, pulling him towards the door. He followed her tug, and together they walked slowly to the kitchen bouncing back and forth on what they would have before settling on Lunafreya's constant standby of soup.


	14. Movie Marathon

Lunafreya stood before a mirror, standing sideways with a quirk of her head. She ran her hand over her stomach, trying to assess if that invisible bump was a sign that she had finally managed to gain a couple kilograms. Her obstetrician had been expressing concern that she had lost two kilograms as of eight weeks alongs, and she had started putting significant effort into keeping herself from losing more.

A light heat touched her cheeks at the thought of an actual 'baby bump'. She walked back over to the clothing she had trapped over the edge of the bed to finish dressing for the day. A buzz caught her attention and she gave her phone on the end table a cursory glance and finished dressing. She had set the phone to vibrate after realizing how easily startled she had been as of late, the phone's chimes making her flinch and be on the receiving end of Noctis's laughter enough times. She turned her attention back to the mirror and winced at the outfit, feeling a bit odd wearing denim pants and a black hooded sweatshirt.

Her shield Crowe had picked the outfit for her, disappointed at how excessively formal the Tenebraean Queen always looked. She had picked casual clothing for her before, and she remembered the first _bonding_ adventure she had been on with her shortly after her appointment as Shield for the same purpose. With the rest of the Kingsguard protecting Noctis and Ignis during a trip to Lestallum Crowe had been directed to stay behind with the Queen. Lunafreya was originally going to join him to visit the hospital in Lestallum, but with her pregnancy all parties saw it more appropriate for her to remain at home. No one knew what effect using her light would have on the fetus. She had tried to avoid thinking about what backing down from the trip would cause the media outlets to say about her. _Maybe we should make the announcement soon_. She mused, questioning their decision to wait until the second trimester. Another buzz brought her attention back to her phone.

[Crowe] On my way sparkles. think well drown in poop?

[Crowe] Gonna assume yes because Ill kidnap you either way so seen you soon

With everyone away Aranea had invited Crowe and Lunafreya over to keep her company. The cabin fever was beginning to edge on her nerves, and she decided that passing the day taking turns with an infant with her friends while marathoning movies was the best treatment. Lunafreya had to admit her own degree of cabin fever.

[Sparkles] I am dressing myself, do be patient now. Kidnapping shan't be necessary.

[Crowe] Except maybe that adorable baby. He's too cute!

[Sparkles] I can't argue with you there.

[Crowe] Then you're gonna bust open with one and I can come over to enjoy all the adorable and cuddles then give the lil stinker back so you can deal with the crying and diapers and your stitches freezing pads and cracked nipples…

[Sparkles] Thank you for that imagery Crowe.

[Crowe] What friends are for! Okay see you soon.

Lunafreya snickered and passed the time with a book before making her way through the Citadel halls, ignoring the deep ache in her joints and the slight tremor in her limbs. She pulled open the passenger door of Crowe's car and sat down.

"Hey Sparkles! Got Aranea some ice packs and pads-"

"Oh for the love of the Six!" she interrupted, rolling her eyes. "Honestly!" She pulled the door shut behind her, clicking her seatbelt, thanking the Six that most car manufacturers had the foresight to install basic safety.

"And me and Aranea will be so jealous when witch hazel becomes your _new_ best friend,"

"Or packing tape so I can get you to stop talking." Lunafreya quipped, grunting as the car was shifted into gear and rapidly pulled away from the Citadel.

"Did I manage to get the Oracle to threaten me? I should be given a medal! Or arrested for heresy. Or maybe it's just those pregnancy hormones. Oh poor poor Noct, no idea what he's in for."

"This is going to be a long seven months…" Lunafreya slapped her palms over her face.

"Don't worry I'll buy you some ice packs, pads, and all the witch-hazel you can weep for joy over."

"One day you'll be the pregnant one and I assure you, I will return this delightful ribbing."

"You're too nice for that. _Oh Crowe, my dear Shield, now that you have passed a child into our world, perhaps you could be in need of items of comfort_?"

"Do remind me again why we're friends?"

"Because _I'm awesome!"_

"Indeed, you are awesome." Lunafreya conceded, and after a rapid turn out of the end of the Citadel gates her hand gripped the door's handle, glad that the Regalia II had the addition of seat belts.

Aranea reclined in the armchair gifted to them shortly after the birth of Sentis. She groaned, expressing for not the first time her new love affair with recliners, and promised Lunafreya that she would soon understand. Crowe dropped herself on the room's cough beside Lunafreya and pointed the remove at the television, tapping at it to get the damnable player to skip through the endless trailers for movies that came out fifteen years prior.

"Still can't believe you never saw these, I grew up on them!" Crowe admonished.

"It's why we added it to her must-watch movie list, like… one-hundred times!" Aranea added.

"Well we also decided we would only watch them if we could sit here and marathon the whole series at once. Hard to have an excuse to sit there and watch movies for like… gods, fifteen hours?"

"One pregnant, one still recovering from birth, and the other the indentured servant to the Queen what better chance will we have?" Aranea asked, shifting her hold on Sentis who was sleeping quietly save for the occasional coo that would have Lunafreya _aw_ w _-_ ing.

"I'm not an indentured servant!" Crowe snapped, and Aranea snorted. "I'm _Shield._ To the _Queen of fucking Lucis!"_ she added defensively, and Lunafreya couldn't help echoing Aranea with her own giggle. She wasn't sure anymore if this argument between her friends was merely for friendly teasing, or if Crowe still felt defensive regarding Aranea's jokes.

"May I hold Sentis?" Lunafreya asked before the woman could snark back at Crowe.

"If you get up to get him. This chair has accepted me as a part of itself. I'm not moving until I have to pee in about ten minutes." She answered back. Lunafreya smiled, getting up from the couch and approaching her friend, leaning over carefully to scoop the semi-sleeping infant into her arms. She was surprised how light he felt, drawing her arms close to her chest and smiling down at him. He had been swaddled in a blanketed patterned with little carbuncles.

"How's bramble been doing with the baby?" she inquired, recalling the little carbuncle.

"Kinda surprised he's not in here, must be the company. He always needs to be in the room where the baby is. Wanna see something cute?" She answered, and reached into her pocket for her phone, flicking through some photos then held it out to Lunafreya who smiled at the picture. It was Sentis tucked into a nest of blankets and pillows on the couch right next to Aranea, Bramble curled next to the infants head, his nose next to Sentis's ear.

"This is so adorable I fear I may vomit," Lunafreya joked.

"Pretty sure everything makes you puke lately," Aranea teased.

"Yeah, like if I made you a gouda sandwich with pickled bass fried in bacon fat." Crowe remarked, smirking when Lunafreya gagged, shaking hear head,

"Oh _gods_ I can somehow smell that!" She cried, scrunching her face and exhaling sharply through her nose. "Not sure I can eat fish now for a week."

"Crowe if she barfs on my baby I'm blaming _you_." Aranea pointed, narrowing her eyes at the now manically laughing woman. "You can bathe him while he pees all over you. You'd be amazed the distance he can get!" She added. Lunafreya now joined in the laughter, shaking her head a bit. "And you, missy, enjoy this while it lasts. Few more months and every time you laugh you'll need to cross your legs!"

"The two of you honestly paint the most beautiful picture of pregnancy."

"How's the little bugger sleeping through this?" Crowe asked, shocked that Aranea hadn't immediately shushed her or Lunafreya once they began laughing.

"Oh we've gotten him well used to sleeping through noise, pretty nice not needing to walk on eggshells around him. You can sit with him for a bit if you want Luna." She explained. Said woman nodded, happy for the chance to sit on the couch and snuggle the sleeping Sentis.

"Besides the movie's about to start! Man I am _way_ too excited for this!" Crowe smiled, lightly nudging Lunafreya's arm once she sat back down, and turned her attention back to the movie. "Still shocked the little fantasy-buff in the gang never saw these movies." She shook her head, tisking.

"Noctis has offered multiple times, but you made me promise I would watch it the first time with you." Lunafreya provided, and got shushed by Crowe who pointed at the television again as a whispering voice began to speak.

"So, what'cha think, what'cha think?!" Crowe asked excitedly. The first movie in the trilogy was running through the credits. Sentis was back with his mother, suckling at her breast, and an empty bowl of popcorn sat between Crowe and Lunafreya, an empty bowl sitting next to Aranea as well.

"This was quite lovely! Honestly, I can better understand your surprise at my never having seen it." She smiled. She had watched movies with her mother and Ravus as a child, and after Nifleheim's invasion movies became an intensely rare event when Ravus managed to smuggle a movie into her room with a portable player, and she was always more than happy to watch with him. But the movies he brought her were always his personal favorite of ancient historical fictions of civilizations that had fallen thousands of years before.

"Kinda surprised you never read the books. You're a big fantasy buff."

"These books were written by a Lucian, no?" she inquired. She knew of the book trilogy that this movie trilogy was based off of, and Noctis had tried as a teenager to smuggle her a copy but Niflehiem had confiscated the books upon arrival.

"Oh right. Man, the Nifs were psycho about that kinda' thing. Its like every Nifs' giant dick would shrivel up and fall off if anyone dared enjoyed media from outside of Nifleheim." Aranea rolled her eyes.

"Or Tenebrae. They never tried to purge Tenebraen literature or art." Lunafreya replied.

"Maybe that's how we should have defeated those Nifs, hold up a book _by the power of Lucian books!_ Then shoot 'em all in the face while they cry over their dicks falling off." Crowe puffed out her chest, holding the movie's DVD box out ahead of her, jutting her bottom jaw.

"Okay come on come on, we have like, ten more hours of movie to go so pop in number two!"

"And another bag of popcorn?" Lunafreya requested shyly.

"Wait, are you actually capable of eating you finicky bird?" Crowe asked, quirking a brow.

"I am not finicky. Merely… nauseated."

"One pickled fish sandwich coming up!" Crowe leapt to her feet, ignoring Lunafreya's groan to gather more popcorn. She pinched her earlobe, a trick Aranea had suggested to her at some point in time, trying to will the trick into easing her nausea as her imagination ran wild with the imaginary smell.

"Want me to slap her for you?"

"I find it quite difficult to dismiss that offer." Lunafreya replied.

"Once this monster finishes eating. Honestly, you're appetite rivals mine you little alien!"

"He's been nursing for quite the while, hasn't he?" a frown quirked her lips. Aranea shrugged, it wasn't the first time Sentis had engaged in what she would call _eternal feedings_ merely praising the Six that for once it wasn't at two in the morning that he was doing such. Lunafreya smiled a bit watching her friend, the soft expression and light smile on her face as she looked down on the infant on her breast. She found the process magical, that she was there cuddled with her infant providing him with all the nutrition he needsfor this stage of his life. She had half a mind to capture a picture of the moment, and caught in thought flinched when she felt a vibration in her pocket.

[Crowe] FERMENTED EGGS

She stuffed the device back into her pocket, leaning her head back to better be heard in the kitchen,

"You are truly a terrible person!" the cackling from the kitchen was her answer.

"My offer stands." Aranea suggested again.

"It's becoming quite tempting." Another buzz made her flinch again, and she bit down on her lip to try and formulate some witty insult to scream into the kitchen, but her brows lifted when she saw that it was not her Shield harassing her.

[Noct] Hey, just wanted to say hello. Miss you. Hope you're enjoying the marathon and can't wait to talk about the movies with you when you get home!

She smiled at the text, and that for once he had used proper punctuation in it. He had always done his best in their notebooks to maintain proper grammar to the best of his ability, and doing so in text made the communication feel less impersonal.

[Luna] Finished the first movie, taking a brief intermission to satiate my destructive appetite and prepare more popcorn for us to enjoy as we set to start the second movie.

[Noct] Liked it?

[Luna] Loved it!

[Noct] Then I won't keep you. I love you. And the tiny nugget in your belly. Feed them all the popcorn!

[Luna] Love you too. And I assure you, I am feeding the nugget quite well.

She could picture the way he was smirking at his phone, and wondered if her own expression was one of idiotic adoration. She could feel the heat touching her cheeks and shoved her phone back into her pocket, yelping when Crowe snuck up behind her,

"canned brussel sprouts with bacon"

"Oh you stop that!" she swatted at the air where Crowe's face had just been, rolling her eyes as the woman giggled and came round the couch to hand Lunafreya a bowl, walking up to Aranea to offer her one too, placing it on the small table beside her to avoid disturbing Sentis and rejoined the blonde on the couch.

"Okay, on to movie two!"

By the conclusion of the third film Lunafreya had her head resting on Crowe's shoulder, smiling through the light burn of tears on her eyes. Sentis had been placed in his crib halfway through the second movie, his mother fast asleep herself in the chair. She sat up when she felt Crowe shift, rolling her own shoulders and pinching at her sore neck.

"Well, we survived."

"Indeed." She replied, keeping her tone low.

"So. Penny for your thoughts?"

"These may be my new favorite movies that I've ever seen. They were brilliant!"

"Glad we forced you to sit on a couch for almost a whole day for them?"

"Oh absolutely," she smiled. Her eyes burned for a moment and she blinked quickly to forestall tears, cursing her own sentimentality _._ _A whole day just sitting watching movies._ She mused, shifting her gaze back to the television to avoid Crowe's gaze, sure that she would be in for a world of teasing had the woman noticed the glaze in her eyes. "thank you." She smiled a bit, trying not to sniffle. "You two were right, I did absolutely love these movies."

"And to think, we still have like, ninety-four left to show you!" She lightly punched Lunafreya on the arm, the woman turning sharply to her.

"Can't wait," she smiled. She pulled out her phone to check the time, realizing she had missed a text from Noctis. She must have truly been deep into the movie to not notice it.

[Noct] Hope you're still enjoying the marathon. Don't rush home, but I'll probably be in bed when you get back. Miss you.

She felt a bit bad for not responding, but was sure he would understand. Crowe had stood, stretching and her joints popped in succession. Aranea moaned, shifting her own form in her chair, eyes blearily inspecting the room. The quiet music of the credits played in the background, the room far dimmer now that the screen was black save for the light grey text of the credits.

"Oh… I passed out." She moaned, looking over at the television. "You like the movies?" she asked. Lunafreya responded as she had to Crowe, and the woman smiled, clearly excited that the night was a success. "Definitely worth the bed-sore I surely have on my ass. I've said for years I wanted to marathon these movies, finally had a good excuse, and sure glad I did!" she smiled, getting one in return.

"It was quite fun, thank you both for pulling me away from the Citadel for the day. I suspect I will be watching these movies on more than one occasion myself."

"Not until we widdle through that list of like, eighty movies we have on your to-do list." Lunafreya laughed, shrugging her shoulders and nodding.

"Fair enough. But it is quite late, you are tired, we best be off. Even Noctis is asleep." She suggested. Aranea stood, nodding.

"Yeah. Sentis needs to be woken up for his next feed then passing back out for two-hours again rinse and repeat until morning!" The women exchanged hugs and agreements to have another movie night soon. Aranea showed them to the front door, waving goodbye before shutting the door, Crowe whispering more gross food items at Lunafreya getting a light tap-like slap on the shoulder for her trouble and got into the car.


	15. Gossip

Lunafreya shifted under the sheets, the sharp voice coming from the television rousing her from sleep. The voice was talking far too animatedly about some musician who had been seen in a restaurant with a young woman that was not his wife, and an echo of voices proclaiming how terrible of a person he was for cheating. She opened her eyes, trying to will away the grogginess still making her head feel heavy.

"Now for our _top_ story for tonight and it is scan-de-lous!" She groaned, rolling her eyes. Of all channels to fall asleep on, she had to pick a movie on the network that would blare the well-known celebrity gossip show Lucian Gossip News. The broadcaster had a distinctly grating voice, and she was sure this is what had woken her up. She tried to find the remote on her nightstand, wondering it she had knocked it to the floor. "Where is our Queen? Is the former-Oracle Lunafreya," she was almost positive she heard him mispronounce her name, enunciating enough that it was clearly intentional. "slacking on her duties?" She winced, trying to remind herself _it's just gossip. Don't listen to it._ "Normally always milling about local towns to make her presence known, she's been oddly missing lately!"

"Clearly letting her station get to her, sitting around doing nothing." Another voice echoed, the video on the screen clipping from a picture of the Citadel to the inside of a room with various people sitting at office desks with laptops, others tapping away at phones.

"Really lazy. Maybe she thinks she's entitled?"

"Recent photo shows her in a car pulling away from the Citadel," said photo appeared on the screen, and judging by the sweatshirt she was wearing this was from the night she watched movies all night with Crowe and Araena. "Looks like she's trying to disguise herself." The young woman added.

"She cheating on our beloved, (and handsome), King?" Some other woman with red hair inquired.

"Where is this cursed remote…" Lunafreya mumbled, lying on her stomach, peering into the space between her nightstand and the bed. She groaned, slipping off the bed to get a better look, reaching under the bed for the remote wondering how she managed to knock it under there.

"Maybe the King needs a _new_ Queen!" Some young male voice added to the debate. "Got some good candidates. His Shield has a younger sister, the Amicitia family has always been loyal to the Lucians." He suggested. Lunafreya let out a frustrated huff of air through her nose, wondering how hard Noctis or Gladiolus would throw this man through a window.

"I volunteer!" the red-haired woman quipped.

"Wasn't Tenebrae occupied by Nifleheim? Maybe she just still has the hots for the Nifs?" _Are they honestly suggesting I'm a cheating traitor?_ She pondered, and couldn't help the surge of anger growing in her heart. Old threats and memories threatening to come to mind, and she bit her bottom lip as she pleaded with her own memory _they're a terrible gossip show. Just a terrible gossip show._

"Didn't Noct's own hand marry a Nif? Why not have his wife cheat on him with one!"

"That Nif is Lunafreya's B-F-F, maybe-?"

"I think you're onto something!" the grating voice returned. "is the Queen's secret lover the Nif-wife of advisor Scientia? Tune in next week for more _hot_ news on our disgrace of a former-Oracle!" She finally managed to snatch the remote, thumbing the television channel to something, _anything_ , else. Were other news sources spouting the same nonsense? She knew none were likely to be as deeply scathing as LGN, but this nonsense had to be stemming from something. Was Lucis really losing their faith in her due to her absence? She hadn't gone into the villages to heal people since the news of the pregnancy. Perhaps, at the very least, she needed to gather her strength to see her people. _Why hadn't I thought of this before?_ _Perhaps I am a failure as Queen. What do I do for my people lately aside from being a face to gossip about constantly?_

She stood up, groaning a bit at the ache in her lower back, rubbing the heel of her hand against it and slipping back into the bed and reaching for her phone, staring at it for several moments and placed it back down, cursing herself for being so foolish. She had wanted to text Aranea, asking if she had seen this terrible show but knew the woman didn't watch this nonsense. But she was as incensed at the news calling Aranea a _Nif_ as she was the accusations against her. After all Aranea had done for Lucis, how dare they? She put the thought aside for the moment, deciding instead to text Noctis.

[Luna] Love, if you are not busy for the entirety of the evening perhaps we can have dinner together?

She felt somewhat bad at her wording, knowing he felt guilty enough for the long stretches he spent away from her. She would often visit him in his office, content to read her book in a chair and let him carry about his business, the pair happy to merely be in the same room to exchange short conversation as his work allowed. As of late, time had found her usually lying in bed or managing the energy to go to her garden. _I really should visit his office more._ She reached for her book, deciding to do so. She walked through the halls despite the ache in her legs, and rapped lightly on the door when she reached her destination. Some mumbling preceeded the _come in._

"Noct?" she called, nudging the door open.

"Oh, Luna, come on it."

"Are you busy?" She inquired, and he was quick to shake his head.

"Never too busy for you." He answered back.

"Where's Ignis?" She asked upon noticing he was alone in his office.

"Gave him the afternoon off." He answered. "I can handle the work for the day." She smiled and nodded, making her way over to her usual chair. Noctis made it a habit to send Ignis home early as often as possible, the man had returned from paternal leave far too early.

"Something on your mind?" Her smile faded a bit, and she shrugged.

"Some silly gossip, nothing that should bother me so." She answered.

"But sounds like its bothering you." She sighed, kneading her fingers a bit. He gave her a few moments to answer, prodding her again with a her name.

"They're suggesting that I'm being disloyal to you, and that having grown up under Nifleheimer control I would still prefer a Nifleheimer over you. And that perhaps you should find a new Queen." Her voice trailed off, cheeks glowing pink.

"Who?!" he asked, exasperated.

"That obnoxious show, TGN. I should know better, they're so petty I shouldn't give merit to their words." She shifted in her chair and forced her hands apart, one thumb brushing the cover of the book that was in her lap.

"Oh gods _that_ show…" he groaned, squinting and rubbing at his forehead with the heel of his palm. "They would say all kinds of creative things about me when I was a teen. Of all the shows to get itself back up and running after we repaired the broadcast towers in Insomnia _they_ just _had_ to be one of them. "They just jump on any gossip they can get their paws on, and the royal family has always been a favorite topic." He shrugged, and offered her a sympathetic smile. He fully understood her distress. As a teen, even understanding how few people would watch the show and take the words to heart, Ignis would have to calm the Prince down after a new scathing report when they had no other celebrities to gossip about that day; or if they had managed to obtain a picture or video clip they could easily manipulate. He was curious what they managed to obtain on Lunafreya that led them to jump to such intense conclusions.

"I know I shouldn't give them merit." She repeated, knitting her brows. Noctis sighed, standing up and walking up to her, reaching down to cease the restless motions of her hands.

"Want me to go set them on fire?" he joked, offering her a cheeky grin. She chuckled, shaking her head. Her loose blonde bangs swaying loose, and she met his gaze.

"Perhaps merely inform Ignis. He in turn would tell Aranea who would burn it to the ground herself." She offered back.

"Well I think I know how to cheer my Queen up." He switched subjects.

"Arson?" She lifted a brow,

"Tempting. But no," he chuckled, leaning down and kissing the top of my head. "What if I set work aside for the night and we have our own movie night. It's not only the girls who likes your company once in a while." He teased. She flinched, remembering the show's harsh criticisms of her and her own concerns about her new habit of spending most of her time in the bedroom.

"What movie, or movies, do you have in mind?"

"Well why don't we take a look at hundred-movie list Crowe and Aranea whipped up?" He suggested. She smiled and nodded, unable to resist the swelling giddiness.

"Don't you have a lot of work to do?" she inquired, concerned that she was pulling him away from duty and his absence would be the next to be criticized. She was sure there were likely other tabloids publishing scathing articles about her, and she didn't want this spreading to him too.

"Nothing that can't wait a day. Now come on, I can tell you're excited so stop trying to find an excuse to make yourself upset and lets go watch a movie. I need a break anyway. I'll be seeing dancing maps in my dreams for a month." She smiled and follows the tug on her arms. Once standing he tugged her closer to him, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I _do_ like spending time with you afterall." He added.

"I thought we had concluded long before that I am quite overrated?" she inquired, tilting her head and quirking a brow, unsuccessful at hiding her smile.

"Guess it's a good thing I have low standards." She laughed his response, rolling her eyes, standing to wind her arms around his neck.

"Quite good, because what would I do without my scruffy Prince?"

"King." He corrected, pouting his lip.

"Prince." she insisted, pouting her own lip.

"Okay you win. That's just not fair." He added, wagging a finger at her.

"Well, come on then." She tugged on his arm and he followed her lead to their living room. It was larger than the one at the Scientia household, but they had arranged a trio of couches near the television and it felt homey despite how large of a room it was. Next to it was a small cabinet stuffed with a variety of snacks and drinks with a microwave set on top. They even had the thing stocked with cup-a-noodle. Lunafreya pulled up her phone where she had an email saved with the list of must-see movies her friends had made for her, handing the list off to Noctis to see which one they would like to see together. They sat down on the central couch, Lunafreya leaning against Noctis while he thumbed through the email. He lifted an arm when he felt her lean against him, wrapping it around her to tug her close, his thumb brushing against the skin of her arm.

"What about these?" He asked, tapping to highlight a title.

"There's a couple with that name. Another series?" she asked.

"Yeah! Let's have our own movie marathon." He suggested. "I can send a text to the cook, have lunch and dinner and lots of snacks delivered right to us and we can lounge all day." She chewed on her bottom lip in a moment of mock pension, and nodded.

"Sounds like a perfect evening." She smiled, nuzzling herself against his chest a little. The position was awkward and hurt her neck so she rolled herself to lay her head in his lap, trying to wiggle around his arm to avoid him twisting it. Noctis reached beside him to pull the recliner to put his own legs up, and Lunafreya's were propped on the opposite arm of the couch. He smiled down at her, running his fingers through her hair, smiling when she closed her eyes at the attention. "Should I get up to start the movie?" she asked.

"I think its actually on one of the like, five streaming things we use." He suggested. Happy not to have to move she hummed her agreement, opening her eyes and turning her attention to the television as he flicked it on, navigating through menus and bringing up options on the InSom streaming service they frequently used at night. "Here we go," he found it after a brief search, and started the first in the series.

"Can we get through them all in a night?"

"No, but! It's a good excuse for me to steal you for a day so we can pick up where we left off." He suggested,

"Hmm… I look forward to it. Quite selfish, I am. Taking Lucis's King away all to myself to watch movies."

"Guess it's only fair, I get to keep their lovely Queen all to myself every night." He countered. This caused her smile to fade, her brows knitting together. Her fingers wound together, tapping her thumbs against each other.

"I haven't been amongst the people since we found out about the pregnancy… its no wonder that show was so scathing about me. Surely other outlets are speaking ill of me recently." Noctis sighed, tucking some hair behind her ear and placed a hand on her arm to give her a reassuring squeeze.

"You need your rest. Maybe it's time we make the announcement publicly." He suggested. He had little to counter her concern. Ignis had brought tabloids to his attention spewing their usual vitriol accusing the royal family of sordid acts and secrets. Even the reputable newspapers were beginning to take note of her absence. Though they tended to be more concerned for her wellbeing than speculating on lurid behavior.

"I thought we wanted to wait until I started the second trimester?" she asked.

"Guess that's easier to do when you're not always under the magnifying glass." He answered, unable to block the mental image of a child frying ants. He sometimes felt like those ants when it came to the media. The price to pay for allowing a fully free media, he reminded himself. "Besides. Maybe if they know the reason everyone will shut up about you staying around the Citadel." He suggested.

"Perhaps." She replied. "I can also imagine them switching tracks. Going from accusing me of having an affair with Aranea, to questioning the parentage." She answered.

"Or maybe they'll all shut up with their infertility articles that pop up every now and then, or long tabloid articles about my broken dick." He laughed, and she snorted.

"It is far from broken," she sighed with a light chuckle, lolling her head back a little to capture his gaze.

"Maybe you should help me test it out, make sure it's in working order." He suggested. His expression lit a fire in her belly and she bent her knees to press them together. The rest of her still felt tense, and he reached down to grip both her shoulders, rolling his thumbs. She sighed, closing her eyes and let out a contented hum after a few moments. "You still seem tense. What if I order some tea or hot cocoa to help you relax?" he asked.

"I have a better idea," she countered. She sat up, his hands dropping from her with a slight whine that was silenced once she turned around, lifting a leg to shift her position so she was straddling him, a wiggle of her hips declaring her intent.

"You're right, that's a much better idea."

"Prove that you aren't broken." She whispered, tilting her head and preventing a reply by pressing her lips against his. She tasted his moan, her second kiss more demanding as her lips parted, her tongue lightly prodding his lips to get him to do the same. He was eager to return her gesture, and his hands that he had planted on her hips now drifted up the back of her shirt. He felt for the strap of her bra, upon not finding it combined with the next roll of Lunafreya's hips brought that distinct pressure to his groin. He moaned into their kiss, tongue battling to find hers, to taste her, to smell her, to feel her. His hands slid down her back, tracing the line of her spine before gripping the hem of her shirt.

Breaking the kiss to pull it off her was almost a feat, with her biting down on his bottom lip when he first tried to pull away, leaving her top awkwardly bunched up below her arms before she let him part from her to pull it off, casting it aside. He sat back to let himself admire her for a moment, and couldn't help but think _have her breasts gotten bigger?_ He reached up with both hands, cupping them, and thought to himself _yep. Definitely bigger._ That was a side effect of pregnancy that he sure wasn't going to complain about. Not that he had ever been dissatisfied with anything about her, but he couldn't deny that he was enjoying this little discovery. In addition to being larger, they seemed to be more sensitive too.

He elicited her first moan by taking a nipple between his thumb and forefinger, rolling it with a slight tug and she crashed her lips against him again, mumbling _Oh Gods do that again!_ Between rough kisses. Her hands clumsily grabbed at his shirt, eager to pull it off and like before getting her to sit away from him long enough to throw it aside took some gentle shoving. With it aside she was quick to pinch one of his nipples, tugging it at the same time as she bit down on his lip and tugged, and _damn_ did that feel good. One of her hands continued the action, matching his own ministrations to her chest, the other sliding down his stomach and her thumb stroking the hair poking through the top of his pants.

She dropped her other hand down after struggling in her attempt at being savvy and undoing his belt with one hand, her movements rougher than she had intended but a slight wine and buck of his hips left her thinking that he seemed to be enjoying it. She undid the belt, unfastened the button, and leaned against him so she could slide her hand beneath his pants, smiling when she felt how hard he was already and was sure that if his own hand began to drift he would find her in similar state.

"You can probably do that a little easier if you let me take off my pants." He remarked after a few moments of her straining to touch him. She chuckled, heat spreading across her cheeks making her ears burn and neck glow pink. She swung her leg over him to sit on the couch beside him, biting her bottom lip as she watched him arch his back to slip his pants down past his hip, and her eyes drifted to his erection and flickered back up to his eyes, smiling at the lust written in his face. "Well now you just look silly. All overdressed." He gestured at her own pants, and she chuckled and stood up, taking her time to wiggle her hips as she slid them off. She took a step towards him and he reached for her, gripping her waist digging his fingertips into her flesh as he jerked her towards him causing her to lose her balance and clumsily fall against him.

"Noct!" she giggled, and he responded by placing both hands directly on her breasts and giving them a childish squeeze. She yelped, sitting more upright and staring down at him.

"Did it hurt?" he asked, quickly dropping his hands. She shook her head vigorously and grabbed both his wrists to plant his hands back on her chest. He was happy to go back to teasing her, and her lips crashing against his again showed her approval. Their noses bumped uncomfortably and after a harsh huff of air she returned kissing him senseless. He alternated between cupping her breast and rolling her nipple between his fingers, and when she began to roll her hips against him he groaned, muttering something unintelligible and lolling his head back.

One hand slid away from her chest, lightly tracing down her stomach. A flash of an image of Lunafreya with a large abdomen drifted to the surface of his mind and faded away almost as quickly but left a stupid grin plastered on his face. He turned his wrist and slid two fingers into her with ease, wanting to be inside her when he felt how wet and warm she was. He couldn't restrain the buck of his hips, and she responded with a roll of her hips. Her hands drifted between them, fingers wrapping around his cock and began to stroke, smirking at his first moan and kissed him again. She fantasized about his tongue drifting elsewhere, but knew she wasn't patient enough for such attentions because she wanted him inside her _now_. She stood on her knees, shifting forward just enough to guide him, lowering herself slowly.

"Fuck…" he mumbled, mirroring some dirty words locked away in her own mind. She leaned back, hands gripping his knees and rolled her hips. He tripped her waist, guiding her motions his eyes locked where they were joined for a few seconds and just, _godsdamn_. He nearly burst from the eroticism of it. Lunafrea lifted a hand from his knee, grabbing his hand off her right hip and placing it over her right breast, a light whimper escaping her lips. He wanted to hear her moan, cry out, scream her ecstasy into the void. But she kept her voice contained, and he strained with his own so he could hear her breathy whines and whimpers. His other hand released her waist, his thumb sliding to where he was watching her roll her hips and pressed his thumb against her clit, rolling it in the circles that months of experience taught him would drive her out of her mind.

Her felt her tense around him, her whines becoming more high pitched. Her motions became more erratic, and she let herself flop against his chest for a moment before she resumed that rolling of her hip, gripping the top of couch behind him. He drove her there again, before climax ripped through him leaving him a quivering mess in the arms of his love. The pair were panting for breath, not wanting to part from one another just yet. She whispered endearments and praises against his chest, half her words mumbled and nonsensical

"So my dick isn't broken?" he asked, smirking at her and laughing at the way she nuzzled his chest.

"Seems to be in working order." She answered through her panting, still trying to catch her breath. "Ri- _dick_ -ulously good working order"

"I think you just made Gladiolus leap out of his chair with a desire to slap you, and he doesn't understand why." Noctis nearly snorted in a failed attempt to restrain his laughter. Lunafreya leaned back with an exaggerated furrow in her brow, pinching the bridge of her nose, shaking her head and dropping her voice with a growling gravely tone,

"I… I sense a disturbance. A dirty joke has been uttered, and it's… _not funny._ " She shook her head with mock-exasperation. "And clearly," she paused, tilting her head to greet his lips, pants meeting and tongues dancing. "I am not clearly, utterly, and hopelessly, enamored with my King." Her breath tickled the skin below his nose, and she paused between words to kiss the apex of his cheekbone. "He deserves a Queen who would shower him in love, not this disloyal waif" She felt him push her back, his brows furrowed and mouth gaping as he was straining to snap back at her self-aimed cruelty. She tried to laugh, the sound a quiet and airy chuckle as she kissed him again, "if only she had someone who could satisfy her _every_ need, her _every_ _desire._ " She whispered the words against his ear, and planted a kiss on his temple.

"If only the King had a dick that worked." He tisked, shaking his head. Lunafreya laughed, slapping his chest. He was relieved to see the smile on her face, one pulling his own cheeks as it spread to her eyes. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against his chest, the pair laughing together in an awkward tangle of limbs. After several moments Lunafreya sat back from the embrace, reaching out to run a hand through Noctis's hair,

"With childish jokes out of our systems I do believe I was promised a movie marathon?" She managed to roll off him, pressing a palm against her forehead as she dropped herself back against the couch," And being doted on hand-and-foot for the evening." She smiled. She motioned to gather their clothing to redress, and Noctis gently put his arm out to push her back against the couch.

"That's just extra steps." He insisted. "One second." He got up, walking over to a small chest next to one of the room's bookcases, pulling out armfuls of blankets. He returned to the couch, dropping himself back down and saw how pink Lunafreya's cheeks were. "Enjoy the show?" she asked.

"Not sure whether to call you an ass, or compliment yours." He laughed,

"Oh come here," he wrapped a blanket around her shoulders and then one around himself. The pair exchanged a quick kiss, Noctis pausing to stroke her cheek and admire how beautiful she looked to him with that rosy glow. She leaned back and sat against her knees for a moment, blushing even harder at how he was staring at her. She tilted her head to end his gaze with another kiss, lips lingering a few moments before she sat back on her heels again, then laid her head against the couch's arm after Noctis made a spinning gesture when she moved to lay her head on his lap. With her legs stretched out across his lap he picked up her foot, using his fingers to knead her aches away after finally starting the movie.

She hummed as she felt any tension from earlier in the day leave, despite some new different aching in her body. Noctis rolled his thumbs across her feet, and she smiled when the opening credits drew her attention to the screen. A hand idly fluttered over her abdomen as she pondered family movie nights, when Noctis would be able to pry himself away from his work for an early evening to settle onto the couch with her and their child, starting up one of the many children's movies that was on her list of "must-sees" from Aranea and Crowe. Partway through the movie Noctis shifted so his back was towards the arm of the couch, gesturing for her to come sit between his legs. She smiled, moving herself towards him and his hands rested on her shoulders,

"You're quite attentive tonight. Is there a date I seem to have forgotten?" she inquired when he began to roll the heels of his hands into her shoulders, and she let out a contented sigh. One hand released her shoulder, sliding over her stomach and rested there.

"I need more reason than this?" he asked, tilting his head and bringing his lips to her neck. She let out a breath of air through her nose, tilting her head.

"Perhaps you were right earlier. That it is time to announce it to the public." She shifted the subject, recalling again the accusations of that gossip program. Noctis sat up, sighing as he leaned back a bit and returned to rubbing her shoulders, thumbs finding a knot at the base of her neck and focusing on it.

"I hope you aren't taking what they said seriously. That show is the epitome of garbage TV" he answered her.

"But terrible things like that stem from at least a seedling of truth. I have been quite absent from the public these last two months. Perhaps I should, at the very least, make a visit somewhere. They people of Insomnia have seen me travel about. But perhaps it is time I pay a visit to Lestallum, or one of the new towns that have popped up." She suggested. Noctis hesitated, memories of the desperately fatigued Lunafreya struggling to gather herself to her feet after a day of healing the people, and forced the thought back.

"We should make the announcement first. So they won't question why you aren't healing everyone." She pondered his words for a moment before nodding.

"I've always kept it hidden the side effects of it. But perhaps they know, its quite hard to miss how pathetic a state I'm always in."

"Luna-"

"Don't deny it Noct. You were the one to urge me to stop pretending." She cut him off. "Hmm… that feels quite good." She rolled her shoulders a bit. "It will be quite odd to stand amongst our people and not be able to aid them."

"You've always been their beacon of hope." He countered quickly, "Even just seeing you will make them happy. And, admittedly, may stick a cork in the mouths of these annoying tabloids." He half-joked.

"I do hope our people have not thought that I have abandoned them." Knowing how difficult it could be to pull her from these self-depreciating thoughts, he merely suggested that in the morning they discuss with Ignis their intentions to make the pregnancy announcement.

"Now let's enjoy our movies. If you're getting hungry I can text the cook." He suggested. Lunafreya hesitated for a moment, and nodded. Her appetite was still finicky, but she had adapted to eating nonetheless for the sake of the speck of life inside her. "Okay, there's a few options with what we have right now," Noctis stated, looking at his phone and began to list the options. Noctis opted for a simple cheeseburger with a bag of chips, Lunafreya choosing a black-bean burger and chips as well to try and keep things simple.

"Just save room for popcorn." She smiled, nudging him.

"I can eat an entire garula and have room for more. You're the bird out of the two of us." He retorted. She chuckled a little and shrugged, admitting that he was right. He brought his hand back over her stomach, slipping it under her shirt and pressed his palm flat against her again. "Gotta eat more for this little future-monster, if they have _any_ of my DNA in them they'll have a ravenous appetite." He remarked.

"I shall have much more than just a prodtruding belly I fear." She feigned fear, gasping and placing a hand over her chest. Both his hands reached up and cupped her breasts under the fabric of her shirt, causing her to flinch, "oh my gods your hands are cold! I thought _I_ was the one with icy fingers!" she complained, batting at his hands through her shirt.

"Get a taste of your own medicine!" he shot back, squeezing her breasts playfully as she squirmed and giggled, bending forward to try and wretch his grip,

"Noct!"

"Ha! Trapped! Guess you'll just have to sit here and endure this entire movie with me!"

"Oh woe is me, for whatever shall I do?" she mock-wept, pressing the back of a hand to her eye and gave an exaggerated sniffle. She followed his tugging and laid back a bit, and when he eventually slid his hands out of her shirt she shifted to drop her head on his lap, smiling as their giggles wound down and his fingers wove through her hair.


	16. Stand Beside Us

Hey guys! Sorry for my delay. Life got busy. My daughter is a lot more mobile, walking and running all over the house. Then of course being December I got busy with the holiday season, worked a lot at work, spend lots of time with the family. But I am finally here with a chapter and I really hope that it's up to snuff.

* * *

Aranea met Lunareya in the sylleblossums garden, the woman hugging her arms as she approached the Oracle who was preoccupied with a book and two dogs at her feet.

"Shit it's cold in here. How do you do it?" she asked, the young woman flinching and turning to her friend. Sentis was strapped to Aranea's chest in a harness, his mother's arms wrapped around him for extra support. "Seriously, look at you! Not even in a sweater. You're like an arctic carbuncle." Pryna and Umbra looked up at the new guest, Umbra letting out a single yap, both dogs wagging their tails.

"And you have the little one with you? Tisk Tisk." Lunafreya shook her head. She stood, pressing the heel of her hand to her forehead with the spinning that frequently came when she stood too fast and winced at the ache in her knees. She shook her head at the questioning look on Aranea's face, and made a _shoo_ gesture with her hands, snickering at the middle finger she got in answer. "Oh come now, that's no way to talk around a baby." She tilted her head, pouting her lip and shaking her head. "Truly a terrible influence."

"You fuckin' hearing this shit Sentis? Sucks, huh?" She looked up to see Lunafreya rolling her eyes and smirked, "what's with the look? He doesn't really know what I'm saying. Besides pretty sure with me as a mother he'll be cursing before he turns five."

"Oh I can see it now. Ignis fainting when his precious, perfect, little child waddles up to him, looking up to his father with wide eyes, and lets loose." Lunafreya led her friend back to the doors back to the Citadel. Pryna and Umbra were both close on her heels, happily wagging their tails.

"I'll be sure to pad the house in anticipation." Aranea chuckled, and let out a sigh of relief when they left the cold garden and back into the warmth of the Citadel.

"I do believe that you are late with paying your due toll of giving me baby-snuggles." Lunafreya held out her arms palms up, curling her fingers. "give him here."

"Okay Sentis, time to see Auntie L," Aranea groaned, reaching behind her to pull loose the knot holding the sling in place, a hand pressed against the infant's back to keep him secure while she wiggled the device loose, shaking her head when Lunafreya offered to help. "there we go!" she proclaimed, and held him out. A smile overtook Lunafreya's face as she secured Sentis close to her chest, cooing at him and rocking him gently.

"You grow so fast." Lunafreya cooed as she tucked the infant in her arms and held him close, smiling and rocking him lightly at his sleepy expression. He stared up at her for a moment before blinking rapidly and closing his eyes to drift back to sleep.

"I'm slightly less terrified every day. Like… a nine, instead of a ten."

"Progress."

"Progress." Aranea echoed. "Man I'd still be at a ten without Ignis. Pregnancy brain doesn't end after the baby is born."

"Still putting housekeys in the fridge are we?"

"If you weren't holding the most precious thing in the universe, I'd slap you." Aranea pointed, squinting at her friend.

"I've discovered immunity to the dragoon's wrath!" Lunafreya proclaimed, rocking Sentis lightly. "Double win. I get baby snuggles _and_ I don't get slapped?" she clucked her tongue.

"I'll keep a tally of the slaps I owe you when not holding my little alien."

"Can't hit a pregnant woman now," Lunafreya smiled, and flushing slightly at referring to herself as such. _Pregnant…_ her mind echoed for a moment, before being drawn back by Aranea's voice.

"The countdown has begun."

"I shall have Noctis commission a bunker to keep me safe from you once _my_ little alien is born." Lunafreya feigned fear.

"Better make that thing the best in Eos…" she threatened, pointing at her. "Oh, here," she reached down into her pant pocket and pulled out a rolled up magazine. "Remember that trash episode of TGN all about you?" she asked, her friendly immediately scoffing.

"Because I could forget that?" after Noctis had calmed her down and returned to work, Lunafreya had called Aranea to speak to her as well about the things said on that show, and the doubts she couldn't help admit to. _Oh people like that are just jealous. They aren't as hot as you, can't bang someone as hot as you, so they make shit up. And kind of forgot who you are. Trust me, this will backfire on them._ "I can't quite grab that." She nodded towards the magazine, Aranea instead unfurling it and holding it so she could see the cover.

 _LGN's Final Blunder?_ With a subtitle _Death Threats, Protests, Revoked Press Passes After Smearing Beloved Queen and Oracle_

Lunafreya's brows lifted, and she felt her cheeks warm up. She read the headline again, questioning if she had read it right. She would have expected everyone to latch onto the doubts sewn by the gossip show, if anything just to sell more issues on the scandal alone. And a bitter surge of joy rose in hear heart, though the _death threats_ portion of the headline did make her feel leery. She didn't wish harm unto others for merely speaking a negative opinion of her.

"Well now that you've got my curiosity piqued you must let me read the whole article. What say you we go to the den try to put a dent into that movie list after giving me a chance to read that article?" she asked. Aranea was happy to agree, and rolled her shoulders a bit.

"Man, the little alien is tiny but somehow feels like I have a small pony on my chest."

"I'll bring him to the den. I haven't quite gotten my fill of cuddles and new-baby smell. You shall have to shoulder the difficult burden of carrying that magazine."

"Cruel Queen making her best friend carry a magazine all the way to the den? You're just pure evil! Look, I can see that blonde hair of yours turning red!" Aranea feigned, nearly snorting to restrain a laugh while Lunafreya chuckled.

"Quite evil, you've discovered my plot." She nestled Sentis close to her chest and led Aranea to the den, both women too happy to sit down on the couch. Lunafreya asked for the article, her friend agreeing to read it out loud so she wouldn't have to sacrifice any _baby-cuddles_.

"Monday evening notorious trash-TV show LGN alleged that Queen and Oracle Lunafreya Nox Caelum was a poor match for our dear King Noctis Lucis Caelum the one-fourteenth accusing her of disloyalty and even infidelity. Within hours of the broadcast a crowd had gathered outside the studio where the show is filmed. Rumors of death-threats sent to various persons who work on the show have not been confirmed but increased security has been seen at the studio. During the night one protestor had thrown a brick through a window of the studio allegedly with a note taped to the object but this is unverified." Aranea began.

She continued to read as the article began to elaborate on the people rallying in protest of slandering their beloved healer. LGN had yet to issue an official apology, but the network that broadcast the show had pulled it from their lineup and replacing it with re-runs of a miscellaneous sitcom. The people stood with their Oracle, their Queen, and would not tolerate her being sullied in such a loud and offensive manner. She had seen harmful gossip before, but head never actually read or heard of the people's response to it. Her face ran hot, and a slight dizziness overtaking her.

"I shouldn't have let that show bother me so." She admitted, surprised at how emotional she felt, choosing to blame it on the pregnancy making her more sentimental. _I'm still their Oracle._ "Don't show this to Noct. He'd never let me live it down." She chuckled. Though she knew he would also take solace in knowing the people still rallied behind their Oracle. Her fears soothed, she felt less anxious about her absence from the public, through she did wonder if she should show her gratitude by visiting nearby towns and settlements. _Surely after the announcement, when they would understand why I cannot offer them more than words._

"Well let's fire up a movie. Which one should we watch today?"

"We have delicate ears with us today, so I shall let you choose?"

"Extra-slut gunfest seven, the directors cut with _extra_ nudity, swearing, and nipple-guns?" Lunafreya snorted and shook her head,

"This poor child is doomed. Hopefully Ignis can help keep his head on straight." She sighed, lolling her head to the side and quirking a smile.

"Okay okay. What about… Oh! Neverending Story!" she declared. "Traumatized the hell out of me as a kid. Totally one of my favorites." Lunafreya agreed, as she always did at whatever movie Aranea and Crowe had picked for their visits.

"So we're up to seventeen of one hundred."

"Can't believe that's all we've managed. Well you'll be laying around all day before you know it, with Noctis doting on you all day long. _Take full advantage of this._ " Lunafreya laughed at her friend's statement, sure that this prediction was spot-on, settling against the couch and cuddling Sentis while she could before he inevitably woke up to nurse.

"Now do hand me this magazine." Lunafreya asked.

'I'll do you one better, I'll read it to you since I'd like to read it again too." Aranea dramatically cleared her throat, fluffing the magazine open and puffing her chest. "Nearly two years has gone by since the world was saved. Eos is in an era of peace she hasn't known for living memory. The Blight is gone, the war is done, the only remnants of the daemons are diminishing as a threat. It seems like two years is long enough to make people forget what the Queen of Lucis and our Oracle has done. Last week notorious trash-TV show Lucian Gossip News slathered her in answer to her recent absence. The backlash was almost instant. Within an hour of the broadcast protestors stood outside the studio where the show is filmed. The next morning the police received multiple reports of death threats emailed to the reporters on the show. These emails are typically used to gather gossip news from the people about local celebrities. Every major city in Lucis has revoked the show's press pass.

Police did put out a statement asking for information about the death threats and have placed security detail where needed to keep the reporters safe. It seems the infamous show has finally made its final blunder. Their obsession with gossip and negativity has backfired worse than ever before. There are no reports yet from the royal family or those close to them with a response." Aranea recited. "Then it just goes on to recap some things to really point out how big an asshole that show was to pick on you so hard. Oh man, I wonder what'll happen after you announce the pregnancy and they realize _that's_ why you've been absent lately!" she laughed, dropping the magazine on the floor beside the backpack she used as a diaper back. Lunafreya had to admit, the article did make her feel less self-conscious about her absence from the people.

"I must admit I can't help but feel a bit nervous about the announcement." Lunafreya answered. "Though I do feel better now that you've read that article to me. It's nice to know it's just that one show focusing so hard on the negative and not all of Lucis."

"Oh come on, you can't honestly think most people believe the shit they were spewing, do you? You ran all over the star like a madwoman trying to save all of them. Pretty sure if everyone honestly believed that shit the Astrals would blow everything up. Again."

"They are quite fickle. Perhaps they shall still blow everything up."

"I suppose we'll see."

"Well. Let's start that movie and traumatize little Sentis"

"Gotta start young!"

Lunafreya knit her fingers together, matching the tension in her brow. Her thumbs kneaded roughly, and she tried to control the large sigh that shuttered through her lips. Her head turned up sharply at her name, trying to ease into a smile and drop her hands onto her lap, standing to greet the arms outstretched for her, welcoming the comfort of Noctis's embrace.

"I don't know why I'm so nervous." She admitted. This was not the first time she was to step before a crowd, and surely not the last. But it was always speeches to the people of hope, politics, the Blight. This… this was more intimate. While any heir produced by the royal couple was not only _their_ future, but that of Lucis herself, she couldn't help but find herself anxious.

"Ig's taken care of everything." He assured her. Which the man had. He had worked closely with Noctis's speech writer to ensure that this speech would be both proper, but personal. It was short, which Noctis always preferred. Long winding speeches made him impatient, and sounded to his own ears like he was being defensive whenever he had to carry on beyond the point. Invitations had been sent out to all major news outlets to allow them to broadcast the event. Even the network that aired the show _Lucian Gossip News_ had been given an invitation in a show of good faith that he wouldn't show bias to the media, though if it were up to his heart he would have revoked their broadcasting license altogether for causing his Lunafreya such distress.

"I've never felt so nervous before a speech. I've given so many. Why am I but a ball of nerves for this?" she pondered. She had reviewed the speech written,

"I'm nervous too."

"Will your father be there?" she inquired.

"Miss us telling all of Eos that he's going to be a grandfather? Like hell he'd miss that!" Noctis laughed. His father was more than enthused to be part of the announcement. When he had told the man about the planned speech Regis was all too happy to tell Noctis about when Aulea and he announced her pregnancy.

"Perhaps he should make the speech for us." She suggested, a cheeky smile on her face.

"And miss seeing you blushing like crazy?" He shot back, cupping her face and running his thumbs over her cheeks that flushed as he spoke. "Like that. Too adorable. Pretty sure everyone in Lucis will want to give you a hug."

"Doing wonders for my nerves you are, giving me the mental image of me blushing and losing my composure before the entirety of the nation." She chided, smile dipping and bringing her palms to her face, moving his hands away to rub at her cheeks,

"That's not going to help the redness." He suggested, chuckling lightly as she seemed to be trying to rub away the blush from her cheeks. "Well, if my super-eloquent words aren't helping I know what always puts you in a good mood." He suggested. She quirked a brow and tilted her head while he took a step back from her and shoved his hand into his pocket. He pulled out his phone, thumbing at it and after a few moments a familiar piece of orchestral music began to play. He set the volume up so they could still hear it when he shoved the phone back into his pocket and took a flourishing bow, extending a hand out to her, "may I have this dance m'lady?" he asked, tilting his head up just enough to smile in reflection of her own.

"Such a gentleman, how can I say no?" she inquired, extending her own hand and giving a subtle courtesy. He stood up, brining her hand up and placing a kiss to the back of her fingers, his kips lingering on her skin longer than propriety would suggest. He righted himself and smiled again when she stepped closer to him, and he placed a hand on her hip and wove his fingers with hers, guiding her into the start of their dance. He stepped around her, his movements clumsy with the stiff brace supporting his bad leg. But with the smooth motions of the woman in his arms they were the picture of grace.

Noctis stepped back and to the side, stretching his arm out as she mirrored him and they stood with their arms outstretched before Lunafreya twirled with the tug of his hand, feeling him press her against him, her back to his chest. One arm wound around her waist, the other with their fingers still woven together for a moment longer before he let go to brush some hair and tuck it behind her ear to bring his lips down against her neck.

"My my, I do believe that these particular dance motions are less than proper my dear Prince."

"King." He corrected her.

"Prince." she insisted with a smirk, sighing as he kissed her neck again.

"I have other improper things in mind that are good at helping you feel less stress." He teased, teeth brushing against her neck before his tongue lapped in their place with the lightest suck.

"You leave a mark before this grand announcement and you shall be making it entirely in my stead while also explaining to Lucis why their pregnant Queen isn't standing before the cameras." She threatened.

"Fine fine. You win. Guess I'll just have to leave marks somewhere the cameras _can't_ see." He suggested instead, righting himself and bringing one hand up to cup her breast, the other arm tightening his grip around her waist to hold her against him,

"You make a girl blush."

"I've already told you how adorable it makes you look." He kissed her ear, nibbling at it and smiling when she sighed, and didn't voice any protest when he did it again. She pressed a hand over the one wrapped around her and gripping her waist. His hand shifted, pressed against her stomach and he kissed the top of her shoulder. "Well if _this_ isn't making you less nervous I know of a good way to really make sure you decompress before this speech…" Noctis's voice trailed off into a mumble as he buried his lips against her neck again, sending a sharp chill raising goosebumps down her arms. Her eyes closed, humming slightly.

"Do we have the time? Surely Ignis will be gathering us shortly for final preparations and to ensure we meet his standards." She raised, biting down on her bottom lip as he found that weak spot just below her ear and sense began to leave her as she longed for his tongue to wander.

"If we're quick." He suggested, tugging her hip in the direction of their bed. The suggestion was awful tempting. As it always was when he kissed her neck like this. She whined at the brevity of each kiss, each light tap of his tongue, wishing he could suck the skin and make her eyes roll back.

"Usually suggesting making it _quick_ isn't exactly the way to a girl's heart,"

"Or regions beyond." He quipped.

"Such a gentleman." She gave back. The hand around her waist tugged her and he pushed his hips against hers, his other hand clamping over a breast and giving a tight squeeze, causing a light yelp and a gasp.

"Gentle?" He asked, fighting the temptation to leave a mark on her shoulder.

"Careful now," she tried to tisk, but her voice came out in more of a strained moan. He pulled back, managing to gather his senses and stood before her, grasping both her hands and tilting his head in the direction of the bed. She grinned, following the pulling of his arms and let hip pick her up to drop her on the bed, laughing at the way she bounced against the mattress and the playful way he leapt atop her. Her dress hiked up to her hips when she parted her knees and let him rest against her, moaning when he rolled his hips and teased her through the fabric of their clothing. They undressed each other, laying out their clothes at the end of their bed to keep from gathering wrinkles. The deliberate care and pace teased them, and once Noctis pushed Lunafreya back against the sheets he slipped a hand between them to guide himself to her. They made love, relishing in this brief release.

Noctis lay on his back with Lunafreya tucked beside him, her breath tickling his bare chest. He sighed, closing his eyes for a bare moment before the alarm on his phone went off reminding him it was time to greet Ignis in his office for a final rundown before approaching the balcony from which most Citadel announcement were made. The quiet of his room made the sudden bang on his door cause him to flinch and Lunafreya to shout as it swung open, said advisor standing in the doorway with Aranea right behind him.

"Shit!" Noctis cursed, grabbing for _something_ to cover himself but they had simply tackled each other on top of the sheets, and after bending his knees in an attempt at any form of modesty grabbed his boxers and held them between his legs, Lunafreya simply rolling off the bed and hitting the floor with a grunt to hide on the opposite side of it until she could cover herself up.

"Hey Noct, if you want your lovely lady to do certain… umm… _oral_ activities I recommend shaving." Aranea quipped with an awkward salute and started to duck between Ignis and the doorway.

"Aranea!" Lunafreya's muffled voice shouted. Her friend's snickering turning into a snort as she tried to contain her laughter.

"Never have I been so grateful to be blind." Ignis remarked. "Meet me at your office Noct, and do wear pants."

"Well not all of us are lucky enough to be blind so move so I can wash my eyes with bleach!" Aranea pushed him lightly with her free arm, the other wrapped around where Sentis was strapped to her chest in his carrier. "Guess Sen is already scarred for life! And remember Noct, needing to floss pubic hair out of your teeth isn't sexy!" Ignis jerked her away from the doorway with that final comment, mumbling to himself and apologizing to the royal pair and kicking the door shut, nearly throwing himself off balance with the effort.

"Oh Gods just make me disappear," Lunafreya mumbled from her spot on the floor. Noctis dressed himself quickly, suddenly feeling like the walls themselves could see his nudity, and frowned as he buckled his pants.

"Do I need to shave?" he asked, frowning a bit.

"Noct, I think she was merely ribbing you. I do not honestly expect you to shave your nethers to the skin." She answered matter-of-factly. Noctis had fully dressed himself before Lunafreya had convinced herself to unwrap her arms from securing her knees to her chest and stood and picked up her dress. Her fingers began to fumble with the zipper, "oh cursed thing… since when am I unable to zip my own dress?" she remarked. Noctis walked up and carefully pulled her wrists away from the zipper, planting a quick kiss on her shoulder before pinching the fabric with one hand to make his task easier.

"You look lovely. Your hair isn't even messed up." He reassured her. But she shook her head and insisted on quickly fixing it back to standard before allowing him to escort her to Noctis's office.

"We've run through this twice more, I assure you my Lady you are as eloquent as ever." Ignis reassured her. They had indeed run through the speech twice. She pressed a hand over her flat stomach and looked down, wondering if the people would speculate if she was telling the truth with such a flat stomach. _Why are you doubting yourself so?_ She chided herself, and turned to Noctis who nodded in agreement.

"Seriously I sound like a kid giving a book report… but you sound like you're about to save the world a second time. You'll do great…" She smiled at his confidence in her and agreed that it was time to head to the balcony. Cameras had been set up to broadcast the announcement on large projector screens that flanked the balcony. Crownsguard were stationed on the roof of the citadel, on the ground, on the balcony itself. Local law enforcement were standing over the barricades closing off the streets and limiting the crowd size to what the plaza could actually handle. Bright floodlights illuminated the balcony.

"It is time my Lady." Ignis stated when a small chime went off on his phone and was quickly ended. Lunafreya brushed down her skirt and closed her eyes for a brief moment, letting out a slow breath. Noctis took her hand beside her and the pair exchanged smiles before stepping up to the microphone.

"Oh people of Lucis, you honor us by standing with us today as we bring you wonderful news. You all stood beside us as we fought the blight. You lent us your hearts as we recovered from the toll paid unto the Six. You lend us your hope, your hearts, your love, your loyalty. And today, standing in the light, we ask you to be with us again. As we bring you joyous news. An heir to Lucis is to be born unto us." Lunafreya's voice was nearly drowned out by the roaring cheer from the crowd. Her voice faltered as tears stung her eyes, a swelling in her heart that she looked upon the people she walked amongst to heal. The faces who suffered greatly at the hands of the blight and the daemons. Who stood strong in the face of darkness, and now cheered them in the light. "Light shall live on. This generation shall know the light. In seven months' time the heir of Lucis will be welcomed into this new world." She finished, and found that her hand had covered her stomach, and Noctis squeezed her hand hard from beside her. He swallowed hard, smiling at Lunafreya's nod as he stepped up to the podium.

"I'm proud to call myself King of Lucius, husband to the dear Oracle, and now I will proudly be able to call myself a father!" It took everything he had to give Ignis's cleaned up version of _I'm gonna be a dad!_ that Noctis had originally wanted to shout. The people were cheering, camera's flashed.

 _I'm gonna be a dad!_


	17. Dessert

This may be my most explicit chapter to date. This chapter is nothing but pure Lunoct, so I hope you enjoy!

* * *

As was becoming increasingly common, Lunafreya fell asleep with the television playing in the background. She had stopped avoiding certain channels, the infamous gossip show that slandered her to all of Lucis was taken off the air shortly after her pregnancy announcement due to plummeting ratings, and nationwide outrage that they had dare to besmear their Oracle when the reality of her absence was her bearing Lucis's future heir. The channel switching from their usual shows to an evening adult-aimed cartoon jarred her from her sleep with the sharp change in sound, and she mumbled, hitching herself up and reaching blindly for the remote control.

She opened blurry eyes when she heard it knock to the floor, sighing a bit and sitting up to look over the edge of the bed. She slipped her legs over and reached down, picking it up to replace it on the nightstand. She reached for her phone to check the time, deciding to read the missed messages from Crowe and Aranea later. She rubbed at her stomach, looking down at herself. She could no longer simply blame it on being her imagination, her pregnancy was surely beginning to show. _It's like I popped out of nowhere._ She mused. _I wonder when I'll feel the baby move._

Her phone's clock read seven, and she winced at it, realizing she had been asleep for three hours. Her stomach rumbled and added an exclamation point to her prolonged nap. _I wonder if Noct is in his office._ She mused. She left the bedroom, ignoring the ache in her legs by the time she reached his office door. She pinched the bridge of her nose, frustrated at how exhausted she was already. She frowned, looking down at her stomach and rubbed it lightly, hoping that her exhaustion was not posing any harm to the baby.

"I'll do my best to eat enough for you, little one." She tried to promise, hoping she could live up to it. Eating throughout her entire first trimester was difficult, and much to her own chagrin she had lost three kilograms rather than gain anything, and she was determined to turn that around now that she was entering the second. She opened the office door, peering her head in and saw the usual site of Noctis leaning over his desk scribbling away, the dim chime of a digital voice coming from Ignis's phone as they poured over the endless work. "Noct?" she called, and got the expected flinch.

"Oh, Luna." He smiled, straightening. Ignis too righted his posture, thumb silencing the reader. "Everything okay?"

"I'm fine," she reassured quickly. "Took a bit of an extended nap and woke up a little peckish. Are you hungry too?" she asked.

"Yeah I could eat." Noctis answered her, pulling out his phone to check the time, both his brows shooting up. "Oh shit! Iggy you should get home before Aranea murders you!"

"I warned her tonight would be a late one." Ignis answered, pushing his darkened glasses up his nose. Noctis could have sworn that even if the man stopped wearing any form of glasses altogether he would periodically push a finger up his bare nose anyways. But Noctis's attention shifted to his wife, getting up from his chair with a groan and crossing the distance to her, wrapping his arms around her,

"I missed you today." He whispered, pressing his lips to hers. She sighed, letting her eyes close and savor his hands for a moment. He broke the kiss, lips coming down to where her neck met her shoulder. A light pink rash had spotted in places, but he found an unblemished spot of kiss to attend to without risking making her flinch with a sudden itch.

"Noct…" she whined. "Iggy's right there."

"He can't see us." Noctis teased her, nipping the spot he had kissed, thinking about what he had in mind for dessert that night once they ate dinner.

"I can _hear you both_ just fine!" Ignis interjected with a groan. A small ruffle of paper accompanied Noctis giving Lunafreya another, more appropriate, peck on the lips and the sigh that it earned. "We can resume our work tomorrow Noct," he got up, straightening his jacket. He pulled his phone from his pocket, "read unread message, 'Nea." He commanded to the item, for once hoping Aranea had sent him an inappropriate text he could taunt the royals with since they seemed determined to burden him with their ceaseless affection.

 _Hey sexy glasses. I miss your face. I know its going to be a late night but if you manage to stumble home before I pass out I'd like to cuddle your brains out._

The digital voice reader had been tweaked over the last month, and it resembled Aranea's voice much more closely, though it lacked her usual inflection. The recorder stressing the wrong words here or there. He flushed, thinking about submitting himself to his wife's whims after spending a day trying to keep his King in line and on track.

"Well as you can tell I best be heading home." Ignis declared. He mulled over what he was going to cook for dinner, already sure that a simple soup or stew would be on the menu for the ease of throwing food in a pot and letting it simmer so he could take over diaper duty and hold Sentis for a while until he wanted to nurse again.

"We'll walk you out." Noctis offered. The way to the front doors passed by the kitchens that were his and Lunafreya's destination, and he knew she would likely stop off there to take a seat and rest her legs. He bit back the offer to carry her, knowing that the chance he would get a rare _yes_ to the offer wouldn't be in front of Ignis. She merely nodded her agreement with his offer, and after a brief wait for the two men to leave the desk in a state of semi-organization that was enough to meet Ignis's standards they left the work to be resumed on the next day.

"How is little Sentis?" Lunafreya asked; though she texted Aranea daily to check up on her friend and the baby daily.

"Too adorable for words, were I able to retire simply to hold him the entirety of the day I would." He answered back.

"We all know that you would explode within fifteen minutes of retirement, begging for employment. Even if it's to spend more time with your baby, I am fairly certain you would quickly grow too restless without an impossible volume of work to attend to." Lunafreya teased back. Ignis chuckled, nodding at her assessment, certain that she was right.

"Besides once he hits those terrible-twos you'll be begging me for more work to do to keep you here late, Aranea will storm in with a toddler tucked under her arm," Noctis added.

"Then Sentis will turn three, this one will be turning two, and the four of us can all go insane together." Lunafreya chuckled, rubbing her stomach.

"Is this like, a right of passage for parenthood? Complain about the terrible-twos?" Noctis mused.

"The Gods have deemed it so, for one cannot bring a child into this world without dreading aforementioned _terrible-twos_." Ignis agreed. "Then a second test comes when the child surpasses such trying times and we all complain about teenagers." He added.

"Oh gods our poor parents." Noctis rolled his eyes. "Or my dad I guess. Ignis has been a professional since birth and Lunafreya is like, the picture-perfect child." He thumbed at her.

"You forget the stories I've told you from my youth?" Lunafreya quickly countered. "I assure you more than once I gave my mother a bit of a headache." She tried to insist. Though her wildest tales were limited to playing outside and growing dirty when told to stay tidy, or sneaking sweets from the kitchen.

"Still got nothing on the headaches I gave my dad." He quipped back. They walked down the hall and Lunafreya stopped off at the dining area adjacent to the kitchens as expected to wait for Noctis to finish escorting their friend to the doors. They parted with a hug, and she hadn't long to wait before she was rejoined.

"Hey." He greeted, getting the same in reply. "How was your day? Didn't see you at all." He pulled his phone from his pocket and gave it a cursory glance, "not even a text." He teased.

"I spent nearly the entirety of the day in bed." She answered. "And I slept for three hours yet I could honestly go to bed shortly." She rolled her eyes at herself. "And yourself?" she inquired. "You two seemed quite engrossed in your work, did you at least pause for lunch?" she usually would interrupt, however briefly, around the lunch hour to ensure Noctis would eat something other than a candy or the like, but had found herself simply to exhausted to do much more than lie in bed. She had even texted one of the cooks in the kitchen to bring her her own lunch, after a solid half-hour of wrestling with her pride.

"Well sometimes a full day in bed isn't a _bad_ thing. I'd love to do that." He answered her, and she was certain he would. Even as King it took great efforts to get him out of bed sometimes.

"Perhaps a night in bed is also not terrible?" she suggested, biting down on her bottom lip and attempting to soften her gaze into a seductive expression, certain that instead she looked like a confused teenager who just got in trouble.

"After a big dinner." He insisted, and she chuckled,

"Yes. After a big dinner. Did you have something in particular in mind?" she asked.

"Well… I know what I want for dessert…" he winked, leaning over his chair to cup her cheek and press his lips to hers. His tongue darted into her mouth, hoping to punctuate his suggestion but got a bit too rough and she pulled away with a light cough, her cheeks glowing red.

"Trying to gag me?" she asked, quirking a brow. She bit her lip and failed to suppress a light laugh at the embarrassed look on his face and the red staining his face over to his ears. "I tease I tease." She held her hands up, "I look forward to dessert." She offered instead after a hesitation, stuttering on her words slightly as her voice dropped in volume, heat overtaking her own face now. This got him to smirk, and he leaned over to kiss her again, much less aggressively this time.

"Well let's focus on dinner first then I can let your filthy mind go where it wants. I was talking about ulwatt tarts!" he insisted.

"Of course you were, pure of mind you are." She teased back. "Well, if food is what was on your mind, let's go eat." She stepped back from his embrace, getting a light whine from Noctis. But she grasped his hand and started to walk away, only to feel the tug on her shoulder pull her back, her back coming to meet his chest, both his arms encircling her. His breath felt hot against her ear as he tilted his head to kiss her temple and whisper to her,

"I love you."

"Noct…" she giggled, shrugging her shoulder at the way his breath tickled her. "I love you too?" she answered, tilting her head slightly to try and get a look at him. "What's brought this sappy mood?"

"I just missed you." He answered quickly. "Can't tell my wife I love her?" he asked, pouting out his bottom lip. She giggled again, letting out a breath and leaning back against him. Both his arms encircled her, palms resting over her stomach. She rested her hands over his,

"Just wait until I'm waddling around the house with a beach-ball belly." She chuckled.

"You're gorgeous." He insisted. "and you'll be even more gorgeous with a huge belly because you'll be too adorable for me to handle. I'll probably explode."

"Well let's set to work then on giving me said adorably huge belly." She declared, and he phe asserted his agreement with a kiss to her ear. He hesitated before drawing back, grasping her hand in his and walking through the halls, not caring how juvenile people may have thought it to see the King and Queen walking through the Citadel hand-in-hand. "What's on the menu today?" her question drew him back from wondering if some Citadel staff member would leak some cheeky information to the press about her growing belly or their constant need to touch each other.

"Once I get you sitting down I can go hound the cooks and ask. But they usually always have some type of soup lately." He answered her. And he was correct, a spicy chili soup had been simmering for a few hours, though they hadn't started a main course yet unsure what the royals would be in the mood for or what time they would finally make their way to the kitchen with their sporadic schedule and Lunafreya's seemingly random meal times as she attempted to follow the whims of the life growing inside of her. "Craving anything?" Noctis asked her after receiving the cook's text stating such.

"Still not having cravings I don't think." She answered him, trying to mull it over as she recalled her recent eating habits. "I'd be quite satisfied with several bowls of that soup." She suggested, and chuckled lightly at the way his expression curled. "Okay okay. Hmm… perhaps some shrimp and rice, if we picked any up from the fishermen this week." She suggested, and he seemed more satisfied with this answer. His thumbs worked quickly at his phone and then he nodded at her,

"Yeah that could work. And I can't argue with shrimp and rice."

"And a bowl of that soup? I know it contains oh-so-evil vegetation, but would do you good to adjust yourself to plant matter so you can be a good influence on our little one. Don't want them growing up seeing their father eat only meat and starch whilst mother tries to encourage them to eat their vegetables." She wagged her finger at him.

"But then we'll just tell them the veggies are why mommy is better than daddy so I can keep eating my meat and potatoes and you can eat all those vegetables."

"I think you just somehow gave Ignis the chills. If I get an angry text from Aranea later, I'm blaming it entirely on you." She pointed. She had half a mind to pull her phone from her pocket and feign texting her friend, but set the thought aside. Noctis busied himself with his own phone sending their request to the kitchen. "How did work go today?" Lunafreya inquired. "I feel like such an absent Queen."

"Are you letting tabloids get to you again?" he answered quickly. "You're growing the Lucian heir in your body. If anyone tries to call you the absent Queen I'll kick them in the teeth personally." He answered her quickly. "We're trying to establish a meeting with the elected local leaders of each region in Lucis, which is proving difficult." He started. He went through the various politics of what they were hoping to discuss at the meeting, and the work still left ahead of them. Listing it out, he felt like he hadn't accomplished anything in rebuilding his nation until Lunafreya redirected him back on track. Their conversation was interrupted by a kitchen staff member entering the dining area and serving the royals their dinner.

"This smells delicious!" Lunafreya cheered, Noctis voicing his agreement. They thanked the server who bowed her head and ducked back out of the dining area, leaving them to their meal. She was grateful that the routine nausea and appetite loss had seemingly vanished almost overnight as she transitioned into the second trimester, making meals far more enjoyable than they had been during the first three months.

"It's been nice seeing you eat big meals for the last, what? Two weeks?" he tried to recall, watching her dip into her rather generous portion of food. She nodded, pressing the back of her fist to her mouth as she swallowed a mouthful,

"Yes. It's been quite nice losing my eternal nausea companion and replacing it with an appetite. Must admit it does feel odd to abandon my bird-like habits and put away portions that can almost compete with yours."

"Mine? You mean Gladio? Pretty sure you can out-eat me right now," he teased with a smirk. She chuckled, nodding as she brought another forkful of shrimp and rice to her mouth. She did indeed manage to finish her entire plate and her bowl of soup, declining the offer of dessert but assuring Noctis she was certain that her sweet tooth would get the best of her after a short time and they could both indulge in a sugary treat.

"What do you say we settle down with a movie? Or is there more work that requires your attention?" she inquired. Despite the lack of accusation in her tone Noctis still winced. Sporadic nights had been spent bent over his desk trying to work on the endless tasks, falling asleep there more than once, waking up at obscure hours and limping to the bedroom to find Lunafreya fast asleep, often curled in the center of the bed with her face buried near his pillow.

"I think I worked enough today." He answered her, more to convince himself than anything. He was sure without her prodding he'd be more likely to go back to his office _to just finish up a few things_ until once again he was passing out at the desk. Not wanting another night like that he got to his feet and pulled Lunafreya to hers, tugging her close, "I know you're full but _I'm_ ready for dessert." He winked at her, and she laughed at how childish the attempt at seduction looked,.

"Ulwatt tarts?" she asked with a lifted brow.

"Hmm… I had something else in mind." He tilted his head and pressed a kiss to her neck, nipping at her causing her sigh to turn into a light yelp, feeling her flinch in his arms. "Should I warp us upstairs?" he asked, feeling her sink some of her weight against him.

"Tempting. But I think it best you save your energy until we get there…" she answered back, tilting her head, allowing him to brush his tongue over her neck. "Though… you… might want to umm… get us. Up there. Before you continue that…" she stammered out, eyes closed and voice breathy. _Goddamn_ he knew how to make her melt into a ball of poor impulse control. Her fingers curled around the front of his shirt to keep him close and keep his lips against her neck, his peppered kissing finding their way up until he nipped at that spot below her earlobe that left her sighing and her eyes rolling back.

"Why do we have to move? We can break the table scare the staff and _really_ give the tabloids something to talk about when one of them inevitably goes running their mouth." Noctis answered her, his words muffled with his lips pressed against her skin. She let out a huff of air through her nose,

"I don't have the energy to shop for a new table, so I suggest we get upstairs."

"We can order one from a catalogue."

"They still make those?" she laughed, finally pulling back from his ministrations and lightly pushing on his chest despite every cell in her body screaming to let him do exactly what he was suggesting and ravage her right on their table. It would almost be worth it for the expression on Ignis's face alone, and the creative teasing she was sure Aranea would come up with.

"Okay smarty-pants, I'll order one online. Most stores have websites up and running again." He explained. The thought made him feel slightly more confident about the work he had accomplished, with a significant degree of assistance, in helping Lucis get back onto her feet. Being able to joke about something as trivial as ordering furniture online again made him realize how much less of a wasteland their world was. Likely the restoration of most highways and roads had a great deal to do with suppliers abilities to deliver goods cross-region.

"Well then, best get ourselves upstairs." She interrupted him again. He reached around and hooked his arm behind her knees, lifting her suddenly enough to make her gasp and grab his shoulders, "Noct… I can walk." She insisted.

"I want you to save your energy." He answered. "I plan to leave you exhausted." He tried to pucker his lips in a sexy expression, and her hearty laugh was evident of his failure on that.

"Oh Noct! You look like a duck when you do that!" she laughed, failing to stifle herself and pressed a hand over her mouth to try and regain herself. He sighed, knowing that trying to look seductive was not his strongsuit, despite being a _teenaged heartthrob_ he was never particularly good at intentionally acting like such.

"Maybe I should try a direct route? I want to ravage you until your legs stop working." He whispered to her. She flushed, biting down on her bottom lip,

"At least tomorrow then I'll have a more valid excuse to lie in a bed for the day."

"You can invite Aranea and Crowe over for another girl's night, spend the whole day talking about your sex-god husbands, because that's what ladies talk about, right?"

"Such proper highborn ladies talk not of such private matters." She flittered the back of a hand to her forehead,

"I think both Crowe and Aranea would slap you for calling them highborn." He snickered. She laughed, nodding her agreement. "Well come on, wasting time." He decided, tightening his grip on her. Despite the temptation to simply warp up through the ceiling, the risk of colliding with whatever furniture above his head helped him keep his senses and he simply carried her through the halls. It was not a rare sight around the Citadel, especially during these hours, and even more frequent a sight after Lunafreya's pregnancy announcement helped her feel less self conscious about it.

With his arms full with her, Lunafreya awkwardly reached for the doorknob, laughing after Noctis refused to put her down and let her walk the rest of the distance to their bed.

"I told you, I want you saving that energy." He teased.

"You're raising my expectations quite high." She smiled, biting down on her bottom lip a bit.

"I better live up to them." He carried her through the threshold and kicked the door shut behind him, staggering slightly at the odd balance of trying to keep himself righted on one foot while kicking a door whilst carrying his wife. He took one pace towards the bed, pausing to recover his balance, then thought better of it, turning back around and having Lunafreya click the lock into place before crossing the room and dropping her onto the bed. He crawled over her, silencing any further teasing she might have for him by pressing his lips to hers, closing his eyes and wanting to simply drown in the night.

Her arms reached up, draping lightly over his shoulder and she sighed against his mouth, bending a knee and pressing it against his side. He brought his kiss to her cheekbone, trailing to her neck, kissing that spot below her ear and smiling at her sharp intake of breath when he sucked on that spot for a moment. When she failed to give him her usual warnings about leaving a mark he did it again, biting down gently before sucking at the skin and letting his tongue ease away the sensation. Rather than protest she let out a whimper that only encouraged him more.

His hand, having been playing with her hair on one side while his other supported himself brushed against the other side of her neck, his thumb catching the strap of her dress. He hadn't thought of undoing the clasp behind her before dropping her on the bed, a fact he was not regretting. As he snaked his hand beneath her she sat up slightly, burying her face in the crook between his neck and shoulder allowing him to slide both his hands behind her and fumble for the clasp. The task was a bit difficult to focus on as she seemed determined to return the favors against his neck, her own tongue bringing his mind to just how talented she could be with that tongue of hers, his face growing hot as he nearly mustered the courage to ask her to put those talents to use.

"Noct…" she mumbled against him. "This is… an awkward position, need help?" she asked.

"Mmm mm" he mumbled in negation, setting his mind to it and getting the clasp undone, and unzipping the portion within his reach. She flopped back as he leaned his weight back against her, breaking the hold her mouth had against his neck. _We'll be matching in the morning_ he thought, seeing the reddened mark on her neck and smirking a bit, liking the idea of her bearing it the next morning. His hands slid back under her and she arched her back so he could continue to pull the zipper of her dress down, but it didn't take long for both of them to realize that this wasn't going to work.

"Why is women's clothing always such a mood killer?

Determined not to allow the mood to be entirely killed already as they both slid off the bed, he placed both hands on her neck, the lightly possessive press of his fingertips against her pale skin causing her to gasp and loll her head back. He made a mental note of this reaction, and a promise to try it again soon. With his palms now pressing harder against her he slid his hands along her neck, slipping under her dress's shoulder straps and sliding them over her shoulder, pushing the form-fitting garment down her body.

"I'm a lost cause with your fancy hair, so that part is up to you." He teased, stepping up so once again her could fully envelop her, both his palms pressed against her stomach. His thumbs brushed against her skin, lips again pressed against her neck.

"Hard to fuss with my hair like this." He whined for a moment then reluctantly stepped back. She kept her back to him, turning to grin at him over her shoulder, shifting her weight on one leg to just her hip out. She reached up and pulled at the pins holding her hair in place, allowing her braid to fall loose and a few runs of her fingers had her hair loose and wavy but free of its updo. "Care to free me of this blasted thing too?" she asked, snapping her bra strap against her own shoulder and wincing, unable to suppress a giggle, "that… was silly of me." she rubbed at the spot. Noctis chuckled too and stepped up, trying to show off by using one hand to pinch the clasp, happy that he finally succeeded at doing _something_ seductive, keeping as much contact on her as possible as he slipped the bra fully off.

Lunafreya walked over to her bed, laying down and folding her arms over her chest, flushing at the look in Noctis's eyes.

"Why are you still dressed?" she asked, pouting her lip. She could have stayed on her feet and undressed him herself, but she had to admit to herself that watching him undress for her was far too erotic for her to take over the task.

"You have a point." He admitted. He started with his jacket, slipping it off, He tried to gyrate a little as he unbuttoned his shirt and began to hum a parody of a tune that sounded like it belonged in a decade-old porno. She laughed, shaking her head and _godsdamnit_ she loved that silly man. "Bow-chicka-bow-ow" he sang, undoing his belt and wiggling his hips a little. Lunafreya waved an invisible dollar on the air, doing her best to fake a Lucian accent,

"Shake it sexy!" she called, giving a light whoop feeling to embarrassed to cheer in earnest. Once his pants were pulled down the tenting in his boxers was obvious, and her eyes trailed down his toned and scarred body as he slipped his last garment off, save for his socks, which he kicked off clumsily after he sat down on the edge of the bed. Finally nude, he crawled over her, reaching to grasp her wrists and pressed them into the bed on either side of her head after she crossed them over her chest again,

"Don't have me get you undressed just to cover yourself back up," he complained. She blushed but had nothing to say in argument. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to the hollow of her neck, dipping down to her breasts. He placed a kiss atop one, one hand releasing her wrist to cup her breast, his thumb brushing over her nipple and getting that gasp he was hoping for. He tried to mirror the motion with his tongue on the other side, lips trailing up to experimentally nip her breast just above the nipple, wincing at the way she yelped his name. "Sorry." He mumbled.

"That… that wasn't a… I mean that didn't hurt. It. It was just fine." She stammered. Gods did she struggle to tell him what she liked in bed with her words, always flushing deep red at any attempt and losing her usual grasp over language to stagger through what she was trying to say.

"So… you liked it?" he asked, hoping for a more direct answer.

"Umm… yes." She answered. Her breasts had not only grown in size, but pregnancy had made them more sensitive as well, and she was discovering that Noctis had some impeccable timing for this sudden experimentation. He smiled at her reassurance, lips coming down against her breast again, sucking lightly and then letting his tongue press against the spot, this time spurred on by the odd little gasp. Switched sides, his fingers sliding across her less smoothly with her skin slightly sticky from his spit, so rather than brush her breast his free hand squeezed lightly, and experimentally dug his fingertips into her flesh and was glad she gave another appreciative gasp. He was intrigued by this new discovery, that she was enjoying something different from his usual delicate touches. He hoped she would return the favor. The idea of her gripping him with some strength in those delicate hands of hers thrilled him, sending a throb between his legs.

Lunafreya bent her knees, pressing them into his hips. He had left her undergarments on, and he was half-grateful for the cloth barrier keeping him from simply taking her. That wasn't his intention just yet, despite the question she asked with the way she lifted her hips and rolled them. He drew back from her to press both hands to her knees, pressing on them until she relaxed her legs and looked up at him with knit brows, but he just gave her a smile, and her breath quickened as his lips came down between her breasts gain, leaving a trail of kisses down her stomach. His hands trailed along her as his lips moved down, thumbs pushing into her and rolling small circles, and she nearly began to pant with anticipation at the familiarity of the gesture.

He gripped her thighs, his thumbs continuing to roll in little circles, and the roll of her hips told him how impatient she was growing, and he smirked, slowing his descending kisses, lingering longer just above her navel, and she squirmed beneath his tongue, trying to shift her hips to get his damnable thumb in just the right place if he was going to keep his stubborn mouth where it was. Her knees were flexing, heels digging into the bed. He wondered if maybe her voice would come out for once, and the mere thought sent another jolt straight between his legs.

She lifted her hips again when he planted a kiss just beside her hip bone, his tongue teasing her with a promise of what was to come, his thumbs rising higher on her thighs. Finally, _finally_ , her desperate whispers turned into his name and _gods_ was it hot to hear her say his name like that. He decided he had drawn this out long enough, or maybe he was driving himself insane holding off. He wanted to taste her, feel her, hear her coming undone. His lips came between her legs, and her shuddered exhale spurred him on. Her hands came down on either wide of her hips, gripping the sheets tightly. Her knees slightly bent as his tongue worked absolute wonders on her, sucking and licking in patterns that time had taught him. She arched her head back, fingertips digging into the sheets to keep herself from pulling his hair, and he hoped for a moment that she _would_. She was always so controlled he wanted to feel her lose herself, pull his hair.

To ease the tension in his shoulders from the odd angle he was holding his arms his hands shifted from her thighs to her hips, fingertips digging into her again but letting her guide her motions, merely following the bucks and rolls that seemed to be desperately seeking sweet release against his mouth. He hummed against her, and he heard an almost stuttered moment of laughter as he huffed a warm breath against her. _Gods she's riled up_. And finally, those long fingers that were clawing at the sheets finally wove into his hair when he released her hip and slid a finger into her, trying to find some sort of rhythm between the now two fingers he curled inside her, his tongue tasting her as he sucked in ways that drove her absolutely wild.

She whispered and sighed, her breath stuttering and at times as her fingers curled tightly in his hair, her heels pressing hard into the bed as she flexed her knees, toes curling as she reached that blessed peak. She closed her eyes, giving her hips a roll to ride it out, and Noctis found himself pressing his own hips into the bed, fighting the urge to find his own release with how goddamn desperate he was to ease some of the pressure. But he didn't want to rush this. He wanted to have a night of absolute bliss, and live up to those standards she teased him about with his promises to leave her a quivering bedbound mess.

He wiped the back of his hand over his mouth, crawling up to now meet Lunafreya's lips in a kiss, sighing against her as the fingers woven through his hair slipped down his neck , the other down his back, pulling him closer to her.

"Gods Noct that was… incredible." She whispered once he broke away from her. He smiled, resting his forehead against hers.

"Guess I'm off to a good start?" he asked her. She laughed, nodding, nearly striking their heads together with the motion.

"Gods yes, I suppose I should return the favor." She suggested, smiling at him. She placed her hands on his shoulders and motioned for him to lie on his back. He thought about protesting for a moment and insisting that she lavish her further, but the way she kissed him and the way she licked her top lip got his mind to reprioritize for a moment. Unlike him, she didn't waste must time teasing him. And Gods was he thankful. It had been hard enough not to let a hand wander between his own legs while his tongue was busy between hers. Coherent thought was wiped away nearly instantly as her mouth wrapped around him, and she reminded him how talented she was with her own tongue. He wasn't as hesitant as her to run a hand through her hair, but placed it instead on her shoulder and gripping her, not wanting to pull her hair recalling the one time he experimented with that and realized quite quickly it wasn't her thing.

He rocked his hips in slow careful motions, trying to match her rhythm. He whispered her name, his desperate sighs turning into low moans after what felt like mere seconds. The time spent tending to her had made him pent up, and he was grateful now that she had rolled him over for this he knew he wasn't going to last. _Make the next one really count._ He thought as he stammered his warning to her. She pulled back, face flushed that even after all this time she just couldn't bring herself to finish him with her mouth, but he didn't complain as he reached his climax with a low moan, squinting hard as his wife helped him ride it out, and then it was him left panting on the bed, hands coming to rest on his chest.

"I'll fetch a towel." Her voice was quiet, and he blinked to try and regain some semblance of thought.

"That was good… really good." He reassured her, her tone betraying her embarrassment. She was quick to slip off the bed, walking into the master bathroom and returning, climbing atop the bed with a towel to help him clean up. "Come here." He asked, and her eyes flickered to meet his and he gave her a moment to finish her task before pulling her roughly up to him, sitting up to clash his lips against hers. She moaned against his mouth, and it turned into a giggle as he pushed her down on the bed.

"Noct?" she asked, lifting a brow.

"You're too good. I can't be done with you yet. I just uh… need a moment." He smiled, shrugging.

"Hmm… however shall we spend that moment?" she asked. He didn't bother teasing her this time, letting a hand wander between her legs and tasting the excited and surprised moan with his lips, biting down on her bottom lip before his tongue sought hers. The way she sighed hard through her nose at the beginning of every liaison always tickled his cheek, and there was something he loved about that silly quirk of hers. He kept his motions slow, kissing the corner of her mouth, the side of her jaw. He kissed just in front of her ear before whispering endearments to her that made her giggle and the sound was absolute magic. He kept this languid pace, showering her in affection, one hand between her legs the other cupped her cheek, traced the shell of her ear, pushed some hair away from her forehead. And it sent her heart racing. If she could simply lie in bed with him like this every day, to have him shower her in the love she had craved from him all those years in Tenebrae.

It sometimes struck her, on random evenings, that she finally had those things she had desired for so long. She closed her eyes to fight the sting that came with the sudden shift in emotion, and she pushed it back to ponder on later, wanting to just enjoy being lavished with attention, the teasing of his fingers felt more like just an extension of this affection rather than raw lust as he waited out his latency. It was never a long wait, and she felt the pressure against her stomach as he laid over her during a prolonged kiss. She ran a hand down his chest and between his legs, giving him a light squeeze before stroking along him, feeling him grow harder in her grip.

She bent her knees again, relaxing her legs out and giving a suggestive wiggle. Her hand guided him to her and with one thrust they were joined, both of them sighing at the contact. Lunafreya let out a rare moan, though it was hardly louder than her breathy sighs. He palmed her breast, giving it a hard squeeze, supporting himself with his other arm as he began to rock his hips against hers. It took a couple clumsy seconds for their motions to match each other and find a mutual rhythm. Lunafreya wondered how the hell it could be _this good_. How anything could feel so good. She was lost in bliss, and she just wanted this night to last forever. She wished she had the endurance to just stay awake for the entirety of the night and completely lose themselves in carnal bliss.

"My… turn…" she panted after a short time, Noctis sitting back and hesitating before withdrawing from her. It was nearly painful suddenly losing that connection, both their bodies madly craving the other. But he followed her instruction, lying on his back and helped her straddle him. She sank down on him, another clumsy set of seconds as they found their mutual rhythm. Lunafreya leaned back, gripping her own ankles while Noctis grabbed her hips, using them to help her keep her balance but letting her rule their pace, his own motions just trying to match hers. He closed his eyes and lolled his head back, consumed by sensation. Half-formed endearments died in the back of his mind before they could become thought, and he felt his climax beginning to build He shifted a hand to press his thumb where they were joined, rolling it in those circles he knew would drive her mad. He didn't want to reach that peak until she found hers. She sighed and whimpered, shifting so she was leaning over him and he wrapped an arm around her to pull her flush against him as she altered the way she moved her hips against him. The change in her breathing, the way she tensed, and how sporadic her motions became came in tune with her reaching that peak. An electric jolt of heat that sparked between her legs and shot through her limbs and wrapped itself around her mind to leave her in a white-out of pleasure, Noctis following shortly after from the way she tensed all around him as she rode it out, groaning as his overtook his body making his motions more erratic. Lunafreya laid panting atop him, and he managed to wrap his arms around her, stoking her back.

It was several seconds before she rolled off of him, keeping herself close to him while they both came down from that hazy cloud, breathing slowing, and coherent thought returning to the pair. Lunafreya reached for the towel from earlier and they spent a moment cleaning up.

"I should get something to sleep in." Lunafreya was the first to speak, but Noctis shook his head at the suggestion.

"I like cuddling you… like this…" he answered her. And gods did he. Her warmth curled up against him, her breasts against his chest, her leg tucked against his, the heaviness of her arm draped over his bare chest, and the way her thumb would lightly trace his skin with her fingers lightly brushing him as well until sleep would claim her and her motions would cease. She settled down against him, falling immediately into those adorable habits and he couldn't have been happier as he covered her arm with his, his own fingers lightly stroking her. It was still early, and while sleep was temping he wasn't sure he would find it just yet. And with her curled up against him and managed to start up a movie, smiling as his beloved drifted into a restful sleep once he pulled the blankets up over them and exchanging a quiet _I love you_.

* * *

I do hope that I found a good balance between being explicit and tasteful, smut and fluff. And for those of you who read Roadtrip I hope this helps make up for cockblocking Lunoct lol


	18. Foot Rub

Just a fun little Ignea chapter :)

* * *

Ignis pushed open the door to his apartment, noting how markedly warm it was and was greeted by the smell of food. Cockatrice hit his nose first, then the vegetables came next. A smile pulled at cheeks, cocking his head slightly.

"Feeling good today I see?" He greeted. He heard the shuffle of Aranea's feet indicating her changing stance in the kitchen, a clatter as she placed down utensils.

"Welcome home sexy glasses." There was a slight musicality to her voice, and his growing stress from his travel home seemed to vanish with the reassurance that his expected late return home bore no ill will. "Oh wait stop!" he startled from her shout, nearly falling over from halting his steps. "I got the laundry but had to put it on the floor earlier to feed Sentis, forgot to move the basket." She remarked. Her voice grew closer and he gave her a second to move the basket. "Sorry about that." She apologized. "I usually put it on the couch… guess I got a little scatterbrained." He heard a subtle ruffle of clothes and wondered if she was shrugging, or waving a dismissive hand, or simply moving a bit.

"It's quite all right. Though I have assured you time and again I do not mind picking up more of the housework. You're still recovering after all." He offered her, as he had been offering since midway through her pregnancy.

"I get restless after a while of sitting on the couch watching movies all day."

"I thought you were always tired?" he teased, trying to wonder when the last time he slept for more than three consecutive hours was.

"Yeah its like my brain can't make up its mind. So I took a nap too." She answered. He was still rooted to the spot he was in when she commanded he halt to keep from tumbling over the laundry basket, reaching out when he could feel Aranea's palms on his chest, and the briefest warmth of her breath before her lips met his cheek. "But it's glad you're home." She murmured.

"I missed you today my darling." His arms wrapped around her to keep her from stepping back from him just yet. His long day left him homesick, and his friends' brazen acts of affection left him feeling a bit longing as well for the warmth of his wife's arms. He held her for a moment, enjoying the way she nestled her head against his chest. "How's the other warmth of my heart?" he inquired after enjoying the embrace in comforting silence.

"Sleeping in the basinet. Been such a good little alien all day. Going shark on my boobs, pretty sure I have hearing loss in my right ear, then nuzzling me so much that it's too damned cute to handle and makes up for the fact I'll need a hearing aid." She answered him. He chuckled,

"Sounds like a good day. The temptation to pick him up is difficult to resist."

"You pick him up I might murder you." Aranea threatened.

"Luckily my willpower shall keep my desires in check." He answered.

"All of them?" she asked, and then he felt her breath against his ear before her teeth bore down on his earlobe.

"Certain temptations are far too strong for even this iron-willed servant to hold fast to his intentions." Ignis answered her.

"Was that fancy for _I wanna make out like teenagers too_?" she asked, "I mean you probably have more on your mind, you're just too polite to admit it until I'm… well, not walking around with half an adult diaper stashed in my undies."

"Yes, it's a flowery way of conveying my desire for you, though I am content merely to have you in my arms darling." He reassured her. And it was a sentiment he expressed to her frequently. He knew the tax it was upon her body to gift him Sentis, and he was stilling to wait as long as needed. Though he would be lying to himself if he failed to admit he was certainly looking forward to it. His thoughts were interrupted before they could begin to loop when he felt her settle back slightly, an amused huff of breath tickling his cheek before her lips met his.

He tilted his head to taste her properly, letting out his breath slowly. She smelled like laundry detergent and sweat, and a faint smell of garlic joined the mix when her hands came up to cup his cheeks. It was a very odd, and somewhat unpleasant, mix of smells. But it meant he was finally home, finally in her arms, and he was even willing to endure dirty diapers with dignity because it meant he was with his family.

Her palms slipped from his cheeks to around his neck, a light moan vibrating against his lips goading him into parting her lips with his tongue, Aranea returning the gesture with equal enthusiasm. A hand curled into the back of his hair, the other gripping the back of his shirt. He liked the way it stretched the fabric of his shirt across his chest, the light pain in his scalp. His own arms wound around her waist, and her shoulders. His fingertips rolled small circles into the bare skin of her shoulder blade, tracing the strap of the tank top she was wearing. His other hand slid down her back to her waist, trying to ascertain just what she was wearing to better form the full picture of his wife.

Her shirt felt smooth, likely one of her sport tops, a softer but still smooth fabric made up her pants. The shirt was snug, and it took a little bit of clumsy effort to find the hem and slip his hand beneath it without letting go of her shoulder, slowly feeling the line of her spine. The slight twitch clued him in to the goosebumps he could picture running down her arms, pale hair standing on end and she bit down on his bottom lip in retaliation. He drew back, lip stretching between her teeth before she let go, chuckling at her.

"You miss me, or my extra-large boobs?" she asked as his hands traced below her bra, sliding across her ribs and letting his thumbs tease just beneath her breasts, his thumbs tightly pressed against her by the elastic fabric of the bra that allowed her to easily move it aside to nurse.

"Can't I miss both? Or shall I say all three? What is the correct syntax in this situation to avoid a slap?" he asked, slipping his hands higher to cup her breasts full. "And fear not, I'll be gentle."

"I hope so, leaking is totally the sexiest thing ever."

"Such seductive words, never have I heard before. How do I hold onto reason in the face of such power?" he mused, his hum turning into a chuckle when she pushed on his face in a mock-slap. He could hear her holding her breath, which finally broke with snort that fell into a laugh.

"Guess the power of boobs really are overpowering huh?" she asked, then yelped when he gave them a squeeze. He felt his face heat up, and could tell by the couple seconds of silence after his act that she was probably blush too in response to the dampness that greeted his palms.

"Really sensitive still." He chuckled, then leaned forward, interrupting her curse with a kiss. He withdrew his hands from her shirt, "'Nea, I honestly don't mind. Sure it feels a bit… odd, but it's merely a side effect of you feeding our son." He reassured her. "Though I would be grateful if you would allow me to wash my hands." He smiled a bit as he pulled back from the kiss, resisting the urge to reach out and cup her cheek retaining enough sense to wait until he washed his hands.

"Oh man now they're chilly." Aranea complained, rubbing the front of her chest roughly.

"Then what say you to lying on the couch together cuddled under a blanket and watching about twenty-five seconds of a movie together until Sentis wakes up, you feed him, and we continue watching it as a family?" he suggested. "I can give you a backrub for those twenty-five seconds." He added, drying his hands on the dish towel that was always reliably hanging off the oven door.

"That sounds absolutely divine. Though can I make an adjustment? Can I get a footrub instead of a backrub? They're killing me today."

"Anything for you my darling." He answered. Her footsteps crossed the carpet, the padding sound once she stepped into the tile kitchen telling him her feet were bare. "Would they hurt less if you wore your slippers?" he asked her.

"I had them on most of the day then they got all sweaty." She answered him, "Oh… let me wash up if I want a footrub." She added quickly after realization hit. She made a dismissive sound to stop him from insisting she was perfect, or other such polite romantic nonsense and promised to join him on the couch momentarily.

"As you wish." He flourished a bow and he was sure she was giving him the finger a moment before speaking.

"You know we're watching that movie now, right?" she asked. "No complaining about a mushy movie."

"When have I ever complained about a classic?" he asked, quirking a brow and feeling the tug of his aging scars. He maneuvered to the couch, grunting and cursing when his shin hit the coffee table. _One day I'll get it exactly right damnit._ He thought to himself. He dropped down and rubbed at his shin, hissing at it, running his thumb over his shin and sighing when he could feel an alteration in his skin that indicated a likely abrasion. He leaned back against the couch and put his foot back down to wait for Aranea to come back.

"Hey I heard a bump, you hit the coffee table?" She asked as she returned from the bathroom. He felt his cheeks heat up, shrugging after a moment of hesitation. "Well why don't _I_ give you a footrub first? Get that leg feeling better. Oh don't give me that look I see you scrunching up about to be all gentlemanly and refuse and say you're fine. Suck up your pride, gimmie your stinky-ass feet, and let _me_ make _you_ feel better for once." She insisted. She sat down on the end of the couch and tapped her thigh, "Come on, gimmie the leg and I'll get the movie started." She asked.

"You always make me feel better." he insisted as he did as directed. He heard some tapping and the odd high-pitched tin of the television when it first started up, a ring remaining in the air until she turned to the program they used for movies and found the film he referenced, the familiar opening theme replacing the white noise. With their movie running she turned her attention back to him, taking his leg into her lap and removed his sock, then clicked her tongue when she pushed up the bottom of his suit pants.

"Looks like it hurts." She remarked, brushing her thumb beside the abrasion. She started to knead his foot, rolling in small circles in places she knew he liked. Where to dig in, where to be gentle. Where was tickling, causing him to giggle and jerk back his leg.

"That's just evil." He commented.

"I couldn't resist!" she declared, "Now give that leg back."

"You've been at this several minutes. I do believer you were going to start a movie?" he suggested, pointing in the direction of their television. "and give me your foot, I have a promise to live up to."

"Pay the toll first." She insisted, uselessly wagging her finger in the air.

"My my, can I afford this toll? I do believe I do not receive my paycheck until Friday and," he paused, brining his wrist up and looked just past it.

"Let's start with a down payment?" she suggested. The couch shifted as she shifted closer to him, and then her hands rested on his shoulders, head tilting so she could greet his lips in a kiss. He hummed against her, arms around her back to pull her close. His hand idly ran along her back, tracing her spine, pausing to rub this thumb against the fabric of her shirt.

"Was that sufficient down payment?" he asked, pulling back just enough to speak. Her answer came when she clashed back against him, and he smiled against her lips. He loved nights like this. Coming home to her arms, then having her come into his as they sat together on a couch. That taste of her kiss, her smell, her warmth. He wished he could see her beauty. The sarcastic smiles, her silver air, the way her cheeks would heat up when he managed to successfully fluster her. He had come to learn how to know her through his other senses though, and intended to enjoy every one of them.

"I say it's a good start. But make a first payment in good faith?" she asked. He smiled, this time tilting his head to catch the croof of her neck. Her sharp intake of breath told him he found that sweet spot on his first try, so he sucked lightly on the spot. A version of him from a decade ago was screaming in protest at the idea of doing something as improper as leaving a mark upon her skin for others to see. His teeth bore down and then his tongue lapped to soothe the tingle left by his teeth. "Very… very good start…" she huffed. "Making my think naughty things I'm not quite ready for… stupid body." She laughed a sad laugh, tilting her head away as he continued to kiss her.

"Then what do you say we just settle down before we need a cold shower and watch the start of the movie?" he answered. It was then they heard the first whimper, followed by a second that started to crack into little whines that they both knew would stutter into sobs within a half-minutes. "I suppose it has been decided for us."

"I'll nurse him and then let you cuddle him, fair trade?" she asked with a smile.

"Fair trade."


	19. Flutters

Lunafreya was laying back in bed, trying to muster the energy to gather herself for lunch, not wishing to eat another meal in bed. Her late start to the morning meant she awoke to a donut, a fried egg sandwich wrapped in wax paper, and a glass of juice on her bedside table with a small note from Noctis reading

 _Luna,_

 _You were pretty groggy so I figured you and the little one need more sleep. Rest up. Made breakfast, and it didn't smell burnt so I hope it tastes good._

 _Love you always_

 _-Emo King Supreme_

She ate her breakfast, and before falling back asleep the note had been tucked into the top drawer of her nightstand with the intention of adding it to one of the notebooks for safekeeping. Habit and sentimentality kept her from discarding even the smallest handwritten note from Noctis. A flush came to her cheeks at the thought of sitting down with a little girl going through notebooks or notes exchanged between the child's parents. She recalled growing up with only the distant sparks of memories of her father, and often tried to ask her mother about him and would have loved having something like her beloved notebook to read.

She rolled onto her back, hip beginning to ache lying on her side. She hitched herself up to lean back against the pillows she propped up on the head board to rest against. The movement had her blowing out a puff of air, settling herself back. A quick glance at her phone told her it was noon, and she was determined to get herself up within the half hour. She reached for the remote sitting on the bedside table, long past the stage of feeling bitter watching more shows and movies in the last few weeks than she did during her entire lifetime. It helped her pass these exhausted lonely hours.

She found an older fantasy movie on the streaming service Noctis set up an account for and set it to play before setting the remote aside. The now familiar opening theme began to play, and she decided instead of getting up within the half-hour she would watch the remainder of the movie. She chewed on her lip debating sending a message to the kitchen requesting a cup of coffee and perhaps something to nibble. She opened up Noctis's name in her message history instead,

 _[Luna] Your lazy Queen has finally awoken from her hundred-years slumber_

Assuming her husband busy as always during the daylight hours she wasn't expecting his rapid response.

 _[Noct] Sleeping Beauty arises? We should tell the Kingdom! Throw a celebration!_ She giggled at the message and rolled her eyes, her reply interrupted mid-type by another.

 _[Ignis] Is the King being rude to you my Lady? He's giggling like a child._

 _[Luna] The King is being a perfect gentleman._ Lunafreya replied to Ignis first, to keep the man from chiding Noctis.

 _[Luna] Raise the banners!_ She typed back to Noctis.

 _[Noct] I'm gonna come back for lunch craving anything?_ She blew out a razzberry and admitted now that yes, since he put the suggestion in her head her craving was making itself known.

 _[Luna] Not for lunch, but for afterwards I could certainly go for those chocolate macadamia cookies. It would also do me well to have a small mug of coffee. Before you protest the doctor insisted one small mug a day would do me no harm._

The fatigue had been hitting her hard, and after a week of struggling to pull herself from bed for more than a couple hours she had asked the doctor what she could do. After some discussion about changes to her food choices, the doctor reassured her heavily that a small amount of caffeine was harmless, and could prove beneficial if it helped her be more active during the day.

After sending the message she stared at her screen for a moment longer, debating telling Noctis to bring her some soup for lunch but already felt demanding enough asking for the cookies and coffee, letting him take charge of the rest of the meal. She hadn't had to wait for long before the door creaked opened, and a black boot pushed the door further open followed by Noctis trying to balance a tray stacked with food.

"Goodness! Let me help you!" Lunafreya yelped, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed,

"I got it, I got it." He tried to insist, but she walked across the room anyways to help pull one of the plates and the mug of coffee off the tray,

"I still want to help." She replied as he tried to protest. "Eventually I should learn to eat a meal in our dining room." She sighed, setting the plate and mug down on her bedside table and hitched herself up on the bed with a groan. "I have the troubling feeling that this tall bed will prove… trying, in the coming months." She admitted. She fluffed up the pillows before leaning back against them again, reaching out with her left to grasp her coffee. "Ignis is probably twitching right now, scratching the back of his neck wondering why." She remarked as she set the cup back down. In addition to the chocolate macadamia cookies, she had been craving sweets in general and finding she enjoyed coffee with some cream and sugar in it as of late.

"At least its not the Ebony brand." Noctis shrugged, getting his own plates and cup settled before joining her on the bed.

"I'm sure he would fully accept that defense to defacing coffee." She laughed.

"Oh here," Noctis added, reaching over the tray and handing her a covered glass container. "You always want soup lately too. You just crave everything lately." He teased.

"It's like you read my mind, I was going to ask…" she trailed off in an uncharacteristic mumble. "Oh wow, spicy noodle to boot!" she cheered. "I should have more protein,"

"That's what the sandwich if for." Noctis waved his hand at her. " _Some_ of your food is allowed to be because you're pregnant and it tastes good." He took a large bite of his own food. His eyes finally caught the movie she had on, and pointed excitedly at the television, "I ruv dis movie" he mumbled through a mouthful.

"Noct…" she sighed. He clamped his mouth shut, finishing his bite before apologizing. "You did sell me on this movie, it's quite good. Though the scene with the horse kills me every time…" she admitted with a sad smile.

"Speaking of animals-"

"I'm concerned of this segue" she cut him off, quirking a brow. "Talking about that horse drowning scene usually does not preface the happiest of conversations."

"Okay bad timing on my part… but I was thinking of getting us a carbuncle." Noctis explained, a hand reaching up to scratch the back of his neck. He took another large bite of food, realizing how hungry he was after a day in his office. His aching leg was already easing up lying in bed and he wondered if a longer workday would be worth it to include an extended mid-day break.

"Oh!" Lunafreya's brows went up at the suggestion, thinking about Bramble, the carbuncle that belonged to Ignis and Aranea. "I… I would actually love that." She smiled.

"Great! I had one as a kid… so I was just thinking, y'know, that I missed having one. Plus aren't they good luck or something?" Noctis asked. His jovial tone and excited carrying on brought a smile to Lunafreya's face, making her think of when they were both younger. "I'll start looking around." He suggested, getting a nod from Lunafreya.

"Ignis may be dissatisfied about such an impulsive decision." She joked.

"I actually talked to him about it, and he was on board." She nodded at his answer, feeling a little surprised. They finished their meal, setting their plates and cups aside on their bedside tables before settling into the middle of the bed. Lunafreya nestled her head against Noctis's chest, his arm winding around her. She wondered if eventually lying with him as such would grow difficult as her belly expanded, the thought making her cheeks flush. His hand came down over her side, fingers curling to pull her shirt up just a bit and allow his fingers to run along her side. She closed her eyes for a moment, letting out a contented sigh through her nose.

His fingers idly ran along her side, and she stretched her arm out across his waist, lightly tickling his side until he took the hint and reached down to link his free hand with hers. Their attention returned to the ending of the movie that was starting to reach the climax.

"When I was a kid the giant wolf thing scared the crap out of me. But it was still one of my favorite movies ever. I can't wait to watch it with our kid like I did with my dad." Noctis broke the silence. Lunafreya searched for memories of watching a movie with her mother, but found them spotty at best.

"Ravus and I would watch some movies together. He liked movies about soldiers, but would sometimes settle and watch a sci-fi with me, or a good fantasy. I never saw this one though. Must not have been popular in Tenebrae. Or I was just an extra-sheltered Princess." She shrugged. Noctis laughed,

"Well we _both_ know you were sheltered until I showed up and ruined everything. Turned you into such a heathen."

"The absolute worst." She concurred.

"Had you running all of Lucis, sleeping in the dirt."

"I was a dignified Princess once upon a time, until a dark knight showed up at her doorstep and whisked her away." She let go of his hand to press the back of her palm to her forehead. Her brow furrowed for a moment and she rolled off of him to lay on her back, cocking her head and lifting the hem of her shirt,

"Luna?"

"Shh." She hushed, eyes intently focused on her stomach. She felt an odd flutter sensation low in her gut, "I… I think I felt the baby move." She answered him. She felt another of the slight flutter, a much more literal feeling of butterflies in her stomach.

"Can I feel?" Noctis asked, reaching over to press a hand over her stomach.

"I don't know." She lifted her shirt a little higher, and guided his hand a little lower. She felt the odd flutter again. "Did you feel that?" Noctis frowned and shook his head. "Probably too small to feel from the outside." She suggested.

"What does it feel like?" he asked.

"Like… like literal butterflies living in my stomach." She explained. Though the more apt description that came to her mind was that it was similar to a painless version of the feeling of gas rumbles when one has eaten too much chili, but the more grotesque explanation was pushed aside.

"Weird." He answered, and she nodded her agreement.

"Very. Do you need to return to your office? You only mentioned lunch." She inquired, wondering how much more time she had to take advantage of his company. Another side effect of her pregnancy was not only a fatigue, but a nearly insatiable bump in her libido.

"No, we're still waiting on some paperwork to come in from the various regions so today was a pretty low-key day." He answered.

"Good." She answered, rolling back over and swinging a leg over his waist, palms resting against his chest. "I missed you." She added in a whisper, her breath tickling his cheek before her kiss teased him, just far enough from his lips to urge him to turn his head towards her. But she fought the chase, aiming higher to place another kiss upon his cheekbone, one hand coming up to cup his jaw. His eyes closed at her attention, a small whine coming from the back of his throat.

"Your hands are always freezing. And I missed you too." He answered. He tried to tilt his head up, his hands coming up to her waist, fingers finding their way beneath the hem of her shirt.

"I'm from Tenebrae, of course I'm cold."

"Ice Queen."

"Is that a reference to something?" she asked, earning a huff from him.

"Stop teasing…" he whined when she dodged another kiss, pressing her lips just before his ear. She giggled, finally giving him what he was chasing and pressed her lips to his, eyes closed and head tilted. She lingered, wanting to savor the feel of his lips against hers, his tongue seeking hers bringing impure thoughts to her mind and she curled the fingers of the hand against his chest, gripping his shirt tightly in her grip.

One of his own hands began to wander, tracing familiar patterns against her back as his hand trailed up. She twitched when a particularly light touch tickled her and sent a chill through her limbs and a whine to her throat. Noctis brought his fingers back to that spot, brushing against his and got the same switch and arch to her back, giggling as he captured her lips. He sat up to better meet her, and pulled her tighter against him.

Her hips shifted against his and she pressed harder into the kiss. She loved the warmth of tasting him, his tongue dancing with hers. He withdrew for a moment and she leaned against him, eyes locking with his for a moment and smiling in answer to his own and closed her eyes again. She nipped his bottom lip, and he shifted the both of them so she was pressed against the bed beneath him. She loved the weight of him when he laid over her like this, both her arms winding tight around his shoulders to try and pull him down against her. A knee rested between her legs, her skirt pulled up to her hips as his leg bent and he pressed his knee against the apex of her thighs, getting a gasp from her at this tease of contact. She murmured his name, and got a teasing chuckle in reply,

"Now that you're the one being teased…" he taunted, kissing the corner of her mouth. His fingers traced her neck, fingers following the line of her collar bone.

"Noct…" she whispered, breath quickening. He traced the outline of her breast through her top, smirking when he noticed there was no bra beneath her top. She tried to arch her back, twisting slightly to find his palms. But he moved his hands away from her advance, grinning that his attempt to tease her in his drawn out touches had her starting to writhe beneath him. She shifted her hips, trying to grind against the knee pressed against her to find any release from this tension building within.

She felt her face heat up, head grow light, while goosebumps rolled down her arms in answer to his touch. His lips came to her neck, hand still taunting her with light touches and outlines. His teeth bore down on her skin before he sucked lightly at the spot, finishing with a light kiss before moving to the next spot. But she let out a moan that was hardly more than a whisper from the first brush of his lips against that weak spot he never failed to take advantage of. She was certain he could convince her to agree to anything so long as he was busying his tongue like this, and she hoped he would move those skills elsewhere. He let her roll her hips again, getting her more wound up before moving his leg away, getting a whine from her.

"Tease."

"You love it." he accused. And _Gods_ did she.

"I love it more when you actually…" she trailed off as a hand stroked down her stomach and taunted her through the fabric of her undergarments, cutting of her sentence with a slight whine before she continued. " _under_ the clothes…"

"I don't wanna rush, I actually get a whole afternoon with you." He teased.

"You have the rest of the afternoon to tease me then," she countered. And he chuckled at her insistence.

"Normally I'm the impatient one." He whispered, breath tickling the skin beneath her ear. She narrowed her eyes at him and he finally slipped his fingers into the side of her undergarments, tilting his lips to press a kiss to her throat, feeling the vibration of her silent moan beneath his tongue as his fingers slipped easily within her, wet from his teasing, and hips eagerly tilting to aid his endeavor.

His own pants were growing uncomfortably tight, Lunafreya seeming to either be growing more impatient, or sensing his discomfort, her deft fingers working at his belt and button, hooking her thumbs on the waist of his pants to push them down his legs. He let out a relieved sigh, the light puff of air tickling the hollow of her throat before he lightly nipped at her collar bone. She waved her fingers into his hair, tilting her head to try and guide his lips back to that spot on her neck. She released his hair, fingers skimming along his back over his jacket, sliding around his ribs so she could work the buttons and help him remove the jacket, and wasted no time in finding the hem of his shirt to pull it up over his head and cast it aside.

Through with taunting her through fabric he slid his own hands down her sides, fingertips dancing over her skin before grasping the hem of her shirt to pull it up over her head. Goosebumps rolled down her arms and she hardly waited for him to pull her undergarments off before she wound her arms around his back, pulling him flush against her. She arched her back to tilt her hips, allow him to slide within her with ease. She gasped and he groaned at the contact. He started slow, as he always did, and she would roll her hips back meeting his rhythm.

He buried his face against the crook of her neck, sliding his arms around her back so they were pinned between her and the bed, fingertips digging hard into her back causing her to whine, trying to push her neck up against his face. He took the hint, awkwardly pressing his lips against her in quick pecks as he quickened his pace. The new pattern left her writhing and whispering silent whines and moans, eyes rolled beneath closed eyelids.

Her legs wrapped around his waist, toes brushing against the backs of his thighs, fingernails dragging down his back. He murmured her name against her neck, sound muffled. He drew back, holding himself up on his palms and she shifted her hips to match the new angle, bringing friction to just the right spot and she gasped, arching her back again before relaxing, her arms sliding off of him and dropping to either side of her head. The warmth build low in her belly, the pleasure mounting and thought faded away as it rippled through her. She let out a quiet moan through her climax, fingers digging into the pillow beneath her head, toes curled, knees pressing into Noctis's hips. The pressure of how she clenched around him brought Noctis to his own peak, and _gods_ did he love when they came together like this, hips rolling together loss in bliss and each other.

He panted, not willing to withdraw from her just yet as he rested his head on the crook of her shoulder. He could hear her catching her breath, a hand waving into his hair and stroking through it. He cupped her cheek, thumb playing with her earlobe before tracing her jaw, fingertips turning her head so he could meet her lips in a slow kiss, murmuring _I love you_ as she pressed her mouth against his. After a few moments Lunafreya broke their afterglow,

"You should let me up to use the restroom." She suggested. He nodded, rolling off her onto his back, looking over the edge of the bed for his boxers. He watched her climb out of bed, smirking a bit as he enjoyed her nude form crossing the room. She habitually crossed her arms over her chest, whether from the chill in the room or a deeply rooted modesty he was unsure. But either way the way her hips swayed as she crossed the room almost set his blood aflame again. He picked up his pants so he could fish his boxers that had stayed within them in Lunafreya's haste to undress him, pulling them on but not bothering with the rest of his clothes for now. He wiggled atop the sheets to pull them down, and was grateful for the coffee he drank else he might fall asleep right here.

Lunafreya picked up only her shirt and undergarments, slipping them on before joining Noctis in bed under the sheets. He lifted an arm, and she smiled as she settled against him. Her head rested against his chest, the arm that wrapped around her shoulders was warm. She reached her arm across his chest, linking her fingers with his and let out a contented hum.

"That was just what I needed." She sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. His fingers trailed over her bare arm, his other hand returning the squeeze of her fingers, thumb grazing over her knuckles affectionately. "I love you."

"Love you too." He tilted his head to kiss the top of her hair. "Wanna watch another movie?"

"Only if you help me outside after, feeling a little cramped after being in bed all day."

"Deal" He answered, pulling her tighter against him, and she nestled deeper into his embrace. She reached to pull the sheet up over him while he selected a movie, before they both settled back against the bed. _Perhaps outside can wait._

* * *

This is accidentally turning into a smut anthology isn't it


	20. Picnic

The light flutters low in her belly were growing stronger, and Lunafreya placed her palm over her stomach every time in hopes of feeling it against her hand so Noctis could feel the movements of the little life inside her. She tugged her shirt down, realizing that it was time to go purchase clothing that would better cover her growing abdomen. She walked into the closet, pulled out a sweater that had already been a bit large for her, and found that it now fit her just right. Despite her usual tolerance for cold, recent weeks had given her a constant chill. She walked over and grabbed her phone, plugging it in to charge while she spent the afternoon the gardens with Noctis.

She ignored the ache in her legs, and her body pleading for sleep to make her way through the long hall. A tingling numbness began in her fingertips and she shook her hands and flexed her fists which helped bring back some of the feeling. She opted for the elevator, despite how nervous the small box made her feel. She pressed the button to call it, eyeing the doorway a bit further down the hall and debating giving the stairs another go. But the last time she tried she was trembling once she reached the bottom, and needed to sit on the floor for some time to recover her strength. The door in front of her opened and she walked onto the elevator. She grimaced, wishing that the Lucian color didn't need to extend inside their elevators. She pressed another button, waited, and squeezed through the opening door once wide enough to let her through.

She stopped in the small lobby area outside the entrance to the gardens to wait for Nocits as they had agreed through texts before she left the bedroom. She was glad for the break, lolling her head back for a moment to catch her breath. The small table next to her, like many places throughout the Citadel, had a book stashed inside. She sat up, leaning over to open the drawer and pulled the book out, thumbing it open to where she had stashed the scrap of paper as a bookmark.

"Luna?" Noctis's voice pulled her attention before she had gotten more than half a page read, closing it and setting it down on her lap.

"Well now, Ignis may have a heart attack from fright when I tell him you were this punctual," she smiled, setting the book down to get to her feet. The ache in her legs returned immediately but she crossed the distance to her husband, reaching up to link her hands behind his neck.

"I've been pretty good." Noctis countered quickly. He smiled and set the cooler down as Lunafreya languidly brushed her fingers against his neck as she reached her arms around him, his own hands coming to her waist. "How was your morning?" He asked, bringing a hand to her stomach. "Both of you."

"Kicking me quite a bit." She admitted. "Did Ignis manage to clear your schedule enough to come with me to tomorrow's ultrasound?" she asked him, brows knit together.

"Of course! You think I'd miss that?" he asked, leaning forward to press a kiss to her forehead. At her eighteen-week ultrasound she had declined to learn the gender of their child, as an emergency loss of power in Lestallum required his attention as the city lacked the resources to replace the worn down and broken parts that led to the blackout. Emergency shelters were opened to help children and the elderly cope with the heat until power was restored a week later. "I get a second chance."

"You honestly think I would learn such news without you? Feels unfair." She explained. "Bring something tasty?" she asked.

"Yeah. I hope. I mean, I packed it myself to give Ignis the afternoon off to go spend time with his family." Noctis explained. "Come on, let's go to the garden. The normal one, I get way too cold in the sylleblossums room." She chuckled, standing on her toes to give him a quick kiss, stepping back so he could reach down and pick up the cooler. He tilted his head and she followed him as they walked through the doors into their usual garden.

Some variety had been added in recent months as species of plant once thought extinct through the blight blooming in the more distant regions of Lucis. People would come to the Citadel, either as pilgrimage to see the Oracle, or politicians and representatives coming to treat with the King; bringing seeds, saplings, bulbs, or other samples of their local plantlife was the most common gift they brought with them when word spread across Eos of the Citadel gardens. The royals had even discussed opening the main gardens for tours, a chance to show people the life that was blooming in the wake of the Blight's destruction even after all these months.

"Noct," Lunafreya blushed, seeing what Noctis had already prepared for them as they walked up a narrow row. There was a blanket already set up for them to sit on, as well as a few folded ones on the corner. There was a bucket of ice and sticking from it were two glass bottles of sparkling cider. There was a small package tied with a ribbon in a messy bow as well as three small plant pots also bearing bows. "You went through so much trouble for a simple picnic?" she asked, turning her head up to see the broad grin on his face.

"Can't I spoil my Queen?" he asked, hooking an arm around her waist. She smiled, a blush overtaking her cheeks as he guided her the rest of the short walk. She was glad for the chance to sit, curling her legs under him. "Where did these ones come from?" she asked, reaching for the first of the three pots. She slipped the card from it, and read it with the others. Each was a letter of thanks and love to the Oracle with a proud description of the new plant. One, the fire-bloom. A flower once described as a field of fire that tricked raiders into fleeing what they thought was a wildfire. Since then, the people would plant them as an offering to Ifrit for protecting them with his trickery. The second, a small sapling they said would grow into a proud berry-bearing bush that they promised would be the sweetest berry she'd ever tasted. The third was the corkscrew fern, its branches growing in a corkscrew that formed a tube to protect the delicate blooms.

"These are lovely." She smiled.

"They all had instructions with them to make sure they grow right. I already gave it to the gardeners and Ignis ordered the right fertilizers and stuff." Noctis explained. He reached to the center of the blanket, handing Lunafreya the small wrapped package.

"You do spoil your Queen." Lunafreya smiled at him, leaning her weight against him. He hooked his arm around her waist,

"Don't get too excited. It's not a diamond necklace or anything." He chuckled. She rolled her eyes, tilting her head to better look at him,

"How dare you disappoint me, haven't you come to notice how high-maintenance your dear wife is?" she mocked. He chuckled. The sound reverberating and tickling the ear that leaned against him. She slid off the ribbon and removed the paper, almost sqeaking when she revealed the gift.

"Noct! This book isn't due out for another two months!" she exclaimed, running her thumb over the cover. It was the third book in a trilogy that had captivated her attention immediately and she had been eagerly awaiting the third installment.

"Sent a letter to the author," Noctis answered with a cocky grin. "I mean what use is being King if I don't abuse it _once_ in a while." He joked. "I just hope you can still pay at least a little attention to lunch." He teased her, watching as she flipped it open, reading the first page.

"Devil." She teased. "Thank you! I can't wait to read. You might have trouble convincing me to put this down to get some sleep later." She laughed. "But I assure you, I can pay adequate attention to our lunch." She sat up, placing a kiss to his cheek. She sat back down, eyes now shifting to the cooler, "what did you pack?" she asked.

"Burger for me. Mushroom burger for you. That pickled cucumber and onion salad you like, you weirdo. For me some potato chips. And Ignis made those ulwatt tarts for us now that he's got the recipe down pat. And don't give me that look, he insisted on making them before he left."

"I'll have to send him my thanks." She paused, sitting back while Noctis opened the cooler to pull out their meal, handing Lunafreya hers and sitting down with his. He reached over to the ice bucket, pouring them each a glass. "Thank you," she took a sip, enjoying the sweetness and the tingle from the bubbles. She had thought that she would miss the occasional glass of wine, but found this a more than satisfactory substitute. They both unwrapped and began to eat their sandwiches, Noctis talking about what he had been working on.

"Sometimes I feel like the moment we solve one problem ten more pop up," he lamented. "While plants are coming back in most places some cities are still struggling with things like irrigation for farming so we've been desperately trying to establish new roads and trade to get resources we need to those regions. Some cities are starting to wonder why they have to pay as much in taxes as other cities and have been sending delegates proposing changes to the tax codes." He sighed, rubbing his face.

"Perhaps your next travel I should join you. May do well for the people… I haven't been among them in some weeks." She offered with a wince.

"I'm sure they understand. But I guess it would make people happy. As much as I want to help everyone I don't want you healing people right now… it wears you out and I'm worried it would be bad for the baby." He admitted. "We can make a personal donation to the hospital instead."

"It'll be quite nice to travel about again." She smiled. She took another bite, then flinched, looking down at her belly and pressing a hand over it. "Noct," she reached out and grabbed his wrist, "feel." she instructed, leaning back and pressed her hand against the back of his, trying to guide his palm over where she had felt the movement. She bit her bottom lip, waiting for it to happen again.

"The baby moving?" he asked, letting her guide his hand. It took a moment, but he felt the slightest movement against his palm. No stronger than someone moving a marble beneath a bed comforter. "I…" he stammered, biting down on his bottom lip as his eyes burned. He blinked, tears building up too fast.

"Could you feel that?" she asked, and he nodded.

"Yeah." He choked out. He kept his hand there, waiting for another roll beneath his palm but it didn't come. He kept his palm against her stomach, Lunafreya lying back against the blanket, his hand following her. She rolled an arm under her head, Noctis lying down next to her. He nestled his head against her shoulder, hand splayed over her stomach.

"If Aranea is to be believed pretty soon this little one will be kicking me heard enough that it'll stop being cute." She chuckled.

"Well let's enjoy it while it's still adorable." He answered back. His thumb brushed against her stomach and his fingers felt warm against her, her palm pressing harder against his hand. She pondered giving in to her body's demand for sleep, but the rumble of her stomach reminded her she had only eaten a few bits of food. She opened her eyes, looking up at the glass ceiling above them, fingers idly brushing over Noctis's hand while she waited to see if the baby was going to move again. She gave it another minute before sitting up, forcing Noctis to do the same.

"I want to finish my lunch," she chuckled, reaching for her sandwich.

"All that squirming get the both of you hungry?"

"Two bites of sandwich are hardly sufficient." She chuckled. They continued to eat, pausing between bites to muse over names, more often than not sinking into joke names they had no intention of cursing their child with.

"Rosa?" Noctis suggested. "We always bring that one up when talking about names." He crumpled up the wrapping for his sandwich and stuffed it back into the basket.

"Hmm… I do quite like that name" Lunafreya smiled, leaning against him. He hooked his arm around her waist, fingers idly brushing her skin. "So Rosa for a girl?" she tilted her head to look up at him.

"Yeah, I really like it." He agreed, nodding. "Now for a boy…" he pondered. She paused too, chewing her bottom lip. They had both agreed early in their conversations over names that they would not name any children after those they lost, for that list was too long to honor them all. She stalled thinking of a name for a boy, and it seemed Noctis was struggling as well. Whenever they were discussing names they seemed to stall when discussing boy names, coming up with some and dismissing them almost as quickly.

"Locke?" She mused, eyes tilted to the side with thought. He shrugged, and she took that as a _no_. "What if we wait to come up with a boy's name until we know what we're having?" She suggested.

"Probably a good idea," he chuckled. He turned his head to kiss the top of her ear. "We'll jump that hurdle tomorrow. For now, I just want to make sure you eat enough for the both of you. Also I want dessert to finish your lunch so we can dig into those tarts!" She rolled her eyes and pushed him over. "What are those hormones doing to you?" he feigned offense and fluttered a hand over his chest.

"You best get your lazy butt up before I devour all those tarts on you. Pregnancy hormones give me quite an appetite," she teased, lifting her brows and leaning over towards their basket.

"No!" Noctis shouted, elongating the word in a low pitch, sitting up with slow exaggerated motions to envelop her in his arms and tackle her onto her back, face buried into her neck. "You mustn't waste your energy." He insisted.

"You just don't want me eating your tarts."

"You know me too well. I still want you to save your energy." He teased her, pressing a kiss to the corner of her mouth and the spot just before her ear before sitting up. He reached into the basket, and held up a tart, "here we go," he smirked. "the golden prize," he mimed to bite into it, Lunafreya giving him a deep pout. "I'm a terrible husband," he mused, "not giving my dearest wife the first tart." He motioned to bring the tart to her mouth and she quickly shook her head,

"Trying to make me choke?"

"Oh good point…" he ambled, setting the tart back down on the basket. He reached a hand out and helped her sit up, and made a spinning motion with his finger once she righted herself. She lifted a brow and once she turned her back to him she felt him shuffle up behind her, arms wrapping around her waist, legs on either side of her. His chin rested against her shoulder and she relaxed herself against him. He reached back into the basket and brought the tart back out, "Better?"

"Better," she giggled, a warm blush coating her cheeks when he brought a hand up. "Noct, I can feed myself." She tried to insist.

"I want to spoil you. Also. Consider it practice for a kid." He tried to suggest.

"So should I be wildly shaking me head and kicking?" she tried to tilt her head back so she could look at him, tilting her head so their eyes could meet. He laughed, shaking his head at her but when he brought his hand closer to her mouth she didn't put up her threatened protest, giggling instead and feeling the blush spread to her ears as she took a bite of the tart he brought to her mouth. She reached up to take it out of his hand after he had his fun. He reached into the basket to pull one out for himself,

"Oh also, we had some extra berries so I packed those two and we can just devour the berries."

"Hmm, that sounds perfect. Can you pass me my glass?" she asked, his arm reaching out and wrapping around her to hand her the glass. She finished her glass and her tart shortly after Noctis did, leaning back fully against him and feeling the rise and fall of each breath against her back. She closed her eyes, an old melody rising to her mind and coming as a soft hum in her throat. Noctis enjoyed her song, pressing a kiss into her hair, trying to catch the melody. His hands wove their fingers with hers and tugged on them so he could embrace her with folded arms, eyes closed and hummed with her.


	21. Soup

Another Ignea interlude!

* * *

"Wouldn't you prefer to read to him?" Ignis asked, pulling the couch recliner and using his legs to guide the chair to gently lift the legs without startling Sentis who was currently nursing in Aranea's arms. He had only made the mistake once, and the resulting pained yelp from his wife ensured he would never do it again.

"Hard to do that while feeding him." She answered back with a grimace.

"Once finished?" he suggested.

"I'll try. In the meantime lets put on a show for him to watch. Well, listen to." She clarified.

"What about dragon keepers?" Ignis suggested. "I loved that one as a kid."

"Is that the one with a brown-haired boy with a squeaky voice who says 'WHEE-HOO!' at the end of every other sentence?" she asked, a grimace in her voice while her nose wrinkled and she curled her lip.

"Yes. That is Rex, he was my favorite character. He was the one who kept the group together with his scientific inventions." Ignis explained.

"Oh gods he drove me insane! I couldn't handle that show!... OW! Sentis!" she wined, pushing a finger into his mouth to break the latch he had. Her yelp was replaced with the start of his crying. "You bite me, I break your latch so no more milk. Please stop biting me…" she pleaded, of the arms holding him letting go and rubbing at her now throbbing nipple.

"I envy your bonding experience with Sentis every time you nurse him until this happens, and once more I find myself grateful that I am not a part of the lactating mammal category." Ignis offered her a sympathetic smile.

"He didn't bite it off, even though it feels like it. Didn't even break the skin." She explained. She grunted as she turned him around, adjusting her clothing to cover the offended breast before offering him the other one to soothe his crying as he latched on almost immediately. "Now don't think this means you can bite this other one you little shark." She threatened to the infant, green eyes flickering to lock with hers. She smiled at him, a hand running through his thin white-blond hair as his palm kneaded at the top of her breast. She let out a long sigh, the relaxation she had felt before his bite returning and she sank back against the couch once more.

"So are we watching Dragon Keepers?" Ignis asked, bringing conversation back around.

"Ugh Rex drives me nuts…. So only if we can watch some Cat-Racers after." She offered back.

"The one with the tiny elves who ride cats?" Ignis asked.

"Yep! And don't you tell me it's annoying if you're about to make me endure Dragon Keepers!" she threatened, jutting out her jaw at him with thinned lips. He chuckled and shrugged,

"I quite liked that one as a child, though I must admit I watched little television in my youth. Once we moved to the Citadel I spent more time reading books than I did watching much of anything." Ignis explained, trying to clarify the fuzzy memories floating in the back of his mind. Images blended of an elf riding a calico, a kid throwing corn at angry dragons huffing fire at it turning it into popcorn, and some flashy cartoon involving a purple slime monster.

"I wonder which show Sentis will latch to and drive us both insane with." She mused aloud, wincing at an uncomfortable suckle before returning to the more usual neutral sensation. "Whatever it is, we'll have to torture Luna and Noct with it too by forcing them to join in on the fun." Ignis laughed at her suggestion, and started nodding his affirmation.

"The purpose of a friend is to stand beside you during trying times."

"Oh I think he's finally falling asleep. We don't need to torture ourselves with kid shows just yet." Aranea suggested. "Movie instead? Kind of all I do… such an exciting wife I am. Badass dragoon lounges on the couch all day."

"Perfect match for your thrilling husband, dashing advisor-to-the-King tripping over furniture."

"I'll be sure to move it all over the house for the expressed purpose of getting you to trip over it more. I mean, I gotta look graceful by comparison _somehow_. I can't be the only one with a bruised shin and shouting more curse words than I ever thought I knew. Might have even invented a few new ones." She tapped pensively at her chin with a free arm.

"Cursing before our child?" Ignis half-teased her, tone dropping slightly.

"Well developing my trash mouth is pretty inevitable, just getting a head start so it doesn't catch us by surprise." She chuckled.

"Your vocabulary, however, is not nearly as tainted as that of our friend Crowe I must admit. Should she chose to one day mother a child by age three they are likely to have already outpaced you in usage of curse words."

"We should convince her to start a swear jar, then she can take us all on a vacation in three months." Aranea quip, her husband pressing his fist to his mouth to help stifle his light laugh, hoping he would not wake their sleeping infant.

"I'm going to lie Sentis down, maybe he'll sleep long enough to let us finish a movie." She tilted her head against his shoulder and nuzzled against him, holding Sentis closer against her chest. She straightened up,

"One moment," he urged. He leaned over, reaching out a slow hand to find her arm, fingers lightly tracing along it in a tickling dance that had her shruggling and whispering his name through a slight giggle. He felt the light fuzz of Sentis's hair, leaning over and placing a delicate kiss atop his head, "goodnight my precious." He whispered. Aranea smiled before getting herself to her feet, briefly leaving Ignis's side and returning with a victorious thrust of her fists into the air,

"Got him into the crib without waking him!" she whisper-yelled in a scratchy voice.

"Come harvest the fruits of your labors," he urged, holding out his palms and twitching his fingers in a _come here_ gesture. She strode across the room, placing her hands on his wrists and letting him guide her to her lap and slipping his arms around her in a tight embrace. She leaned her weight back against him, her own hands resting against the ones on her stomach.

"I should have thought of this before getting all comfy in your lap, but want me to make some popcorn?" she asked.

"That would somehow make this perfect movie evening even more perfect." He encouraged.

"Cheat and make microwave or make it on the stovetop?" she asked.

"One of those options shall not be given the dignity of an answer. I just wonder if it will wake Sentis… hold a pot holder atop the pot lid as you do to muffle the sound." He answered her.

"Should have known better than to ask." She shrugged. "Pick a movie while I do this. Remote is on the center of the coffee table." She nodded towards the table. Ignis could hear the clicking of the gas stove as she turned it on, a satisfying sound as he had always quite disliked cooking on an electric stove. He tapped the remote against his thigh as he tried to mentally run through their favorite movies, ultimately deciding upon one of the newer superhero films that had come out recently.

"Search, Eos Knight." He enunciated after this thumb found the voice-search button Aranea had glued a rhinestone to to make it easier for him to find. The television's voice read his selection back to him and he confirmed it just as he started hearing the popcorn begin to pop from the kitchen in dull little _ping_ s so unique to the sound of Aranea pressing a pot holder against the lid of the cooking vessel. Within minutes she was beside him with a bowl set on her lap, her warm body pressed up against his.

"Oh, here," she pushed a cold bottle against his palm.

"Luna got me hooked on these. Sparkling cider. Non-alcoholic of course." She assured him with a pat on his arm. "Don't spill it I already popped the caps off." The movie was playing the opening narration. Having seen the movie once before Ignis decided to forego the descriptive audio and simply listen to the movie as it was edited. He moved the bottle into his right hand, the left wrapping around his wife's waist. He listened to her take a sip of the drink before the clink of the glass bottle settled on the coffee table. Her weight pressed against him, a smile pulling at his feature. "You should call in sick tomorrow so we can cuddle like this all day."

"Shall I tell Noctis that I caught quite a severe case of cooties?" he teased, getting a pinch as reward.

"If those were real and contagious I'd already have been in the hospital with a blood infection from it." She chuckled. She tilted her head and pressed a kiss to the corner of his jaw, "I just love you too damned much." She whispered.

"And I you, my darling. Perhaps I am suffering instead from some variation of brain parasite filling my brain with oxytocin." He countered.

"Such a romantic way to put it."

"Does not mean I love you any less." He retorted.

"Maybe that's why my ears are so itchy. Brain parasites laying eggs in my ears." She twirled a pinky in her ear, making a _pop_.

"Shall I make some cockatrice noodle soup for dinner this evening to aide in my darling's illness recovery?" he offered.

"Oh hell yeah, won't complain about you spoiling me!" she cheered, tilting her head to look up at him and plant a kiss on his jaw. He leaned into it, and when she shifted to nestle against his shoulder his head was a comfortable weight against hers as they listened to the movie, fingers laced together with his thumb idly running over the back of her knuckles.

"Soup for dinner this evening it is. I may just require the occasional assist."

"Making me work for it? You're lucky that soup tastes so damn good I'd jog across Lucis to get the ingredients if I needed." He tugged lightly on her shoulder and she took his hint, turning and hanging her legs off the edge of the couch and rested her head upon his lap. His fingers wove through her hair, his thumb tracing the curve of her ear as his fingers danced against her scalp. His other arm was lightly draped over her shoulder and brushing over the bare skin beside the thin strap of her top.

As the movie progressed she felt herself growing stuff, and was certain the weight of her against his leg must have been growing uncomfortable as well. She shifted her weight and rolled her shoulders before linking her fingers together to stretch her arms, feeling a satisfying series of pops in her shoulders, elbows, wrists, and knuckles. Ignis bounced his legs once she had shifted her weight off him, stretching them out and arching his toes a bit before settling back against the couch.

"Earlier you suggested that you allow me to spoil you. Why don't you spin yourself round and allow me to ease the burden on your feet?" he offered.

"Most women have to beg for a footrub, yet here I am wondering if I'm mistaken or actually hearing my husband offer me one spontaneous? What's your ulterior motive?" she asked, quirking her brow with a skeptical sideways glance.

"I assure you I will not be overexerted," he replied. She shrugged and spun around, resting her head on the armrest of the couch after putting a throw pillow behind her neck, leg in Ignis's lap. He scooted further to the edge of the couch and set to work kneading the bottom of her foot, and she couldn't help the slight moan at the new pleasant ache that followed his thumbs as he kneaded them against her sore flesh.

"You are too good at this… where did you learn? Noctis make you rub his feet as a kid?" she suggested, feeling the tension leave her entire body as the ache in her feet lessened.

"I can keep _some_ of my secrets a secret."

"Oh you say that now, but I've got my tricks." She winked at him, "for reference I winked at you." She added. He rolled his one intact eye, scar tissue tugging at the edges.

"The pinnacle of subtlety my darling." He alternated between her feet as they watched the movie, and Aranea felt quite lavished. She felt semi-asleep by the time the movie rounded to its conclusion, only to drift off just before the credits. She felt some tapping atop her foot, rolling onto her side and drawing her knees up to untangle herself from Ignis. The creak as he got up had her opening her eyes, tracking him as he crossed the small room to their kitchen,

"Making that soup?" she called out to him.

"Only if you can disconnect yourself from the couch to assist me."

"Guess it's a fair price to pay," she admitted, getting up with an exaggerated groan. "I'm surprised Sentis is still asleep…" she murmured, scratching at the back of her neck.

"We should count our blessings and get dinner started before he wakes."

"Yeah I probably jinxed us. So. Where do we start?" she asked, joining him in the kitchen. She stepped up to him and rested her head against his chest, arms winding around his torso. He returned her embrace, one hand running along her back.

"Could you please gather the following," he started, and tilted his head in the direction of the refrigerator. She pulled out leftover broth, cockatrice, round noodles, vegetables, as well as a variety of herbs he didn't bother trying to tell her the name of and simply described as _a twiggy one with tiny leaves, one that looks like a pine tree, and parsley. I know you know parsley._

"Okay, what's first?" she stared at the counter. Ignis described where he wanted the ingredients placed, which pot to pull out, which knives and cutting boards. She had his settings just as he described, and nodded at it. "Okay there sport, good for you to pull some magic out of your ass and prove you're the best chef in all of Lucis." She cheered.

"I shall not disappoint." He promised. She stepped away from the counter to allow him to step up in her stead. He didn't need to ask her to pull the bin next to him as he could hear her drag it across the kitchen with reassurance she placed a fresh bag inside so all kitchen scraps could be added to their compost bin outside once he was done. "Perfect, as always." He smiled at her after he pat around and confirmed everything was exactly where he had requested. He reached with one hand, turning a burner until he heard a click and _swoosh_ turning the knob nearly from muscle memory to the setting he desired.

He hesitated for a moment before reaching for the knife, smiling when he felt Aranea come up behind him, her chest pressed against his back while her arms wound around his middle. He welcomed the return of this familiar habit, smiling growing just a bit wider as he recalled how she would attempt to do it, rather unsuccessfully, while she was very pregnant. With her arms around his middle and head nestled against his back he reached first for the onion to begin peeling it.

"Man someone needs to invent and onion that doesn't make your eyes burn when you cut it." she commented as she blinked too quickly once he had set to work dicing the onion.

"Only one of my eyes burns when I cut them now. My sight was a small price to pay for the blessed reprieve from crying when cutting onions."

"Lucky," she teased. He chuckled and moved the diced onions to one of the small glass bowls Aranea had set out. He set the knife down and reached for her hand, bringing it to his lips and placing a kiss upon her fingers before next dicing up a Duscae violet carrot, one of the many plants resurrected since the obliteration of the blight. Once placed in the bowl he kissed her fingertips again. He repeated this pattern until all the vegetables were diced, and the cockatrice broken down in the way he wanted. With the oil in the pot heated Aranea finally let go of his waist, having learned the hard way how much splattering oil is unpleasant and why Ignis frequently wore long sleeves when cooking.

A cry from Sentis in his nursery caused them both to glance in the direction of the room, Aranea placing her hand on his shoulder, standing on her toes to kiss Ignis's cheek."

"I'll go get him." She whispered, and he turned to capture her lips in a prolonged kiss. "Try not to miss me too much,"

"My heart shall ache and pine for you, as separation makes the heart grow fonder."

"You're lucky you're holding a knife. Oh wait, you aren't!" she teased, and gave him a playful slap on the arm. He chuckled at her, hearing her footsteps retreat as he stirred the soup, wondering if he could put Dragon Keepers on the television for Sentis while it cooked.

* * *

I hope you liked this gentle stroll that is slice of life. Not a thrilling or overly fluffy chapter but I do still hope it was satisfying


	22. Important Questions

This one is short because as I wrote I found a stopping place that just felt natural. There will be another chapter soon as I've already started writing it, since I had intended for this chapter to be a bit longer but just liked this cut-off point.

* * *

Lunafreya hitched herself up onto the examination table, Noctis standing beside her and reaching for her hand once she had herself settled herself against the crinkling paper. She lifted her shirt as she was directed, follow the technician's hands as they reached for a small blue-capped bottle.

"It might be cold." the young woman couldn't help the slight flinch as the cool gel hit her bare skin, Noctis giving her hand a hard squeeze in response. The technician pressed the probe against her stomach. The royals looked up to the screen as the technician started moving the probe around for a moment and the black distorted trapezoid turned into a static image before the distinct outline of a baby took form.

"Look…" Noctis half-whispered, getting a nod from Lunafreya. It was a moment more before they could hear a patterned sound of their baby's heartbeat.

"Healthy little heartbeat!" The technician confirmed in a sing-song voice. "One-thirty-eight." she added.

"That sounds fast." Noctis worried, but was quickly reassured by Lunafreya's serene tone.

"That's normal."

"Everything is looking perfect." The girl interluded, moving the probe a bit. "And the baby is being very agreeable today. Were you hoping to learn the gender or keep it a surprise?"

"Please tell us." Lunafreya answered, giving Noctis's hand a hard squeeze and turning her head to him to exchange smiles.

"So let's here here…" she paused, looking at the screen and then her hand reached out and she pointed, "you see these three dots? Those are labia. You're having a girl!" she declared.

"A girl!" Lunafreya echoed, looking over to Noctis. His eyes were already glazed and he blinked rapidly, the pressure on her hand significantly stronger.

"A little girl…" he repeated, sniffling and pressing his free fist beneath his nose. Lunafreya chuckled, her voice cracking and sniffling herself, looking back to the screen showing the image of their daughter. Small limbs wiggled, her legs kicking out as she squirmed into a different position. Noctis felt his eyes burning as his throat constricted further. _A daughter. We're having a daughter._ He wanted to reach out and stroke her stomach, imagine the soft cool skin beneath his fingertips with her shirt hitched up to beneath her bra-line. But sense stayed his hand and he shifted his attention back to the screen as the technician spoke.

"Everything looks absolutely perfect. Just need to take a few pictures." She moved the probe around, catching different angles. All the pushing against Lunafreya's stomach started the baby moving. The Queen grunted, then pointed at the screen with a strained giggle when a particularly energetic wiggle had the baby pressing her foot up against the ultrasound probe.

"Gods watching the baby wiggle like that no wonder you randomly wince all the time."

"Gets interesting. Will be rather more fun once the baby is larger." she added with a slight huff of air through her nose. Noctis stood up from his chair, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"What you go through to give me a daughter." he whispered against her skin.

"Wait until I'm in labor for that particular devotion, my Prince." she smirked, turning her head to accept a kiss. A few more rolls, a few more photos, and they were given a collection of ultrasound images to take home, their favorite one the distinct little foot kicked up against the probe.

The scans always felt rushed, but there was little reason to linger once they confirmed that their baby was developing well, and learned that they were having a daughter. The royals returned to their bedroom walking with their fingers entwined, the ultrasound photos safely tucked into an envelope in Noctis's left hand. The hallways were mostly bare, save for the occasional staff member tending to the cleaning and a pair of guards heading to their evening post to relieve the morning crew. Lunafreya was walking slower than usual, standing close to Noctis with her free hand idly rubbing her stomach.

"We need to tell my dad its a girl."

"Would you like to call him?"

"You seem pretty tired," he answered, shaking his head. "We can hunt him down after dinner."

"Why don't we all have dinner together?" she countered, and he shrugged and nodded.

"Craving anything tonight?" he asked, nudging her with his shoulder and she chuckled and shrugged.

"I liked those garlic butter asparagus we had." she answered, chewing her bottom lip.

"You always say some kind of vegetable. Aren't pregnant women supposed to want an ice cream sundae made with pickle flavored ice cream?" he asked. She laughed, shaking her head,

"Truth be told I have been having a bit of a craving for salted chocolate. Or salted caramel will do… I suppose anything that is salty-sweet." she rambled.

"See you're lucky we have people who cook or I'd like… make sugar cookies with lots of salt or something else too literal."

"Surely I have dodged quite the disaster." she quipped as they approached their bedroom door. Noctis pushed it open, giving her a flourishing bow that had her passing by him with a roll of her eyes. Once in the room the door clicked behind them, and Lunafreya reached to set the lock.

"Hard for the kitchen guy to get in here if the door's locked." Noctis remarked. WIth a sheepish smile she undid it, and crossed over to their bed, pulling herself up and dropping back against the pillows with a flourish of her arms.

"I'm exhausted." she sighed, letting the ache through her limbs hit her. The bottoms of her feet throbbed as if she had been walking for hours and grabbed one of the pillows beneath her head to prop them up. Noctis climbed up beside her, turning onto his side. Once she flopped back again her reached across her, a palm on either side of her stomach. He lifted the hem, pushing it up so he could plant a kiss against her giggled, tensing beneath his lips,

"That tickles!" she admitted,

"Hmm thats new…" he observed, sitting up just enough to cock his head and catch her expression. His eyes crinkled with the way she had her hands curled over her chest, cheeks flushed as she bit her lip to try and surpress her giggles. "What else is ticklish?"

"Don't you dare!" She tried to curl in on herself but his fingertips found the usual spot under her ribs, and she rolled over on her side. Noctis smirked, moving his fingers to just above her hip. Never successful at turning her into a writhing giggling mess with anything besides her ribs before, he took advantage of this curious little quirk. "Noct! Stop!" she giggled, sniffling between fits of laughter as she rolled over to her other side trying to pin his arm beneath her.

"Pregnancy making you super ticklish? Expecting me _not_ to take advantage of that?" he asked as he decided to try something else. His fingers taunted her, and he brought his lips to her neck in the ghost of a kiss, hardly contacting her. He let out an amused huff of air as she shrugged up her shoulder and tried to press her ear down to shoo him away. "You used to always like when I kissed your neck!" he teased, performing the same action against her nape while she nearly rolled over to her stomach.

"When… hah! When! You actually _kiss_ me!" she shouted. He decided to relent on his teasing, and pressed a proper kiss to the nape of her neck, ceasing tickling her and pressed his fingers into her hip. She panted to try and catch her breath, rolling onto her back. "Quite terrible you are, taking advantage of your Queen like this," she turned her head to smirk at him as he climbed to the head of the bed to drop beside her.

"Truely aweful. How do you put up with me?" he teased her.

"Perhaps you spike my morning tea?" she suggested, letting out a long vocal sigh and closing her eyes. "I'm already quite tired."

"Still hungry though?" he nudged her with his elbow.

"Of course I'm hungry. I'm always hungry now that the eternal vomiting goblin has decided that my stomach has become too cramped for him to live there too."

"Wait so we could have had twins?" he asked, giving her an exaggerated pout.

"Don't even pretend we could have handled that." she laughed again, rolling her eyes. "So I believe you brought up my appetite for a reason?"

"Oh yeah I was gonna text the kitchen, since I'm sure my usual habit of walking down there would leave you just too lonely to handle." he teased her. "We talked about cravings but what did you actually want?" She settled for vegetable soup, as she did nearly every night, with the admittance that perhaps the soup constituted her odd pregnancy craving. Originally Lunafreya suggested sandwiches to keep things simple, but Noctis talked her into roasted fish.

"Well we have some time until dinner…" Lunafreya suggested. Noctis replied with a cocked brow and a side-ways smile in an altogether suggestive wink. She closed the distance between them for a kiss, pressing her lips against his. He shifted closer to her and they wound their arms around one another. His hands drifted beneath the hem of her shirt, tracing the line of her spine. She giggled and arched as the touch tickled her, sending goosebumps rolling down her arms. He responded by pressing a bit harder, and she moaned against his mouth as the sensation shifted more pleasantly and wiggled her hips closer to his.

"Still ticklish?" he asked when their lips parted.

"You're terrible." she huffed. He chuckled and captured her mouth again, tongue seeking to taste their taste and she responded in kind. They broke apart, and he smiled at the dazed expression on her face before tilting his head to press a kiss to her neck, tilting up to nip ear earlobe earning gasp and shrug of her shoulders. He smiled, turning back to her neck to give her another quick nip getting a prolonged sigh and he smirked.

"You're sensitive…" he commented, continuing to pepper her neck with affection. She hummed in response, but tilted her head away and rolled her shoulder to give him better access.

"I've been since I started this trimester. Quite odd." Her voice trailed off in a whisper as he pulled at the collar of her shirt to plant a kiss atop her shoulder.

"Doesn't seem like a bad thing." he mumbled, his tongue pressed against the crook of her neck before his teeth bore down gently.

"Definitely not…" she spoke in a low breathy voice. Her hands reached up and wove through his hair, thumbs tracing the curve of his ear. She thought for a moment what staff would say should they notice marks on her neck, but it vanished quickly as she focused instead on what his tongue, his lips, his teeth were doing to her. Each touch lit a flame and the warmth spread throughout her body settling low in her abdomen. She flexed her knee and Nocits slid his hand beneath her leg, palm stroking beneath the hem of her skirt. "We should be prudent… the kitchen is usually quite prompt with food." she managed to collect her thoughts back to something sensible, heat overtaking her cheeks at the thought someone may enter the bedroom to see them so compromised.

Noctis whined at her suggestion, burying his face against her neck and shaking his head, sending chills down her limbs at the way his nose brushed against her. He inhaled deeply and let out a long sigh, his breath tickling her and causing her shoulders to shrug.

"Why do you always have to make sense." he complained, letting his face rest against her neck.

"One of us has to, this way, we even out to a nice fifty-fifty and only look _half_ insane." she answered, giggling as he nuzzled her neck again and planted another kiss just behind her ear. "Though I worry I'm starting to lose my senses."

"My evil plan to bring you down to my level is working!"

"The kingdom shall fall, for its King has pulled its Queen from on high and cast the land to its doom." she flourished, pressing the back of her hand to her forehead, biting down on her lip to restrain a smile as Noctis pouted at her.

"I'm not _that_ bad!"

"Oh?" She cocked her head to the side.

"Yeah! I…" She let out a snort and shook her head,

"That is the best defense you can muster?" He narrowed his eyes at her teasing and stuck his tongue out at her, to which she playfully lifted her head to bite at him. Both royals turned to the door when a hard knock came from it. "Guess I was right about dinner arriving promptly." she smirked and Noctis scrunched his face at her. She chuckled, hitching herself up to sit up against the head of the bed for a moment as Noctis slid off the bed to go answer the knock. Her limbs ached and she gave a wince at the sting in her lower back that preceeded the pins and needles that ran down her legs. Her hand fluttered over her abdomen, idly rubbing over it as the life inside stirred and moved. "Waking up just in time to give me hiccups while I try to eat?" she asked quietly, feeling a light bump beneath her palm. She smiled, shifting to the edge of the bed. Noctis and one of the kitchen staff crossed the bedroom to place a pair of trays down at the table before the young woman gave a bow and excused herself from the royals.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to that." Noctis broke the silence after the bedroom door shut behind the worker.

"My mother is likely rolling her eyes at me from the other side at my own discomfort." she chuckled. "All those lessons gone to the wind," _crunched beneath the boots of the Nifleheimers._ She winced at the invasive thought and was glad her back was to Noctis hiding her expression. Her legs dangling over the edge of the bed sent the pins in her legs throbbed for a moment but she managed to urge her body to stand. A moment of lightheadedness blurred the edges of her vision but it passed quickly and she was able to join Noctis at the table.

"Our little one woke up." She started, reaching first for the bowl of soup. "Perhaps she would like a name?"

"Need a way to get Aranea to stop calling her _your alien_?" Noctis asked, forking a mouthful of food into his mouth. Lunafreya chuckled, waiting until she ate several bites of the piping hot soup to answer him.

"Would be nice to have a name for her." She felt a light heat in her cheeks finally able to have a more direct way to refer to their child, having always dodged using the word _it._ She suspected the alien monicker was Aranea's own way of dealing with the dilemma. "I don't wish to pass on a name from anyone, there are far too many that we lost to choose one." she started, sure that the names of their mothers rushed to the forefront of Nocits's mind as fast as it did hers.

"Aurora?" Nocits suggested. "You used to love the northern lights."

"Like the fairty tale? Hmm… pin in it for now." she answered. "Flore?" she suggested, and chuckled at the way Noctis's nose wrinkled. "That's a hard no." They bounced names back and forth, pausing to enjoy their meal while it was hot, Lunafreya realizing the intensity of her hunger several bites in and was simply grateful to be rid of the constant nausea and food aversion that plagued her the first trimester. It wasn't the first time they had debated names, often finding themselves struggling to settle on a name for a girl. They pinned Aurora, Stella, Arbora.

"Rosa?" Nocits piped, and Lunafreya tilted her head.

"Rosa… I like that. It's pretty. Add it to our pins." Lunafreya smiled. Noctis returned the expression, and guessed by her reaction to the suggestion it was the strongest contender for a name.

"What does she think?" he asked, pointing at her abdomen.

"Hmm good question. Little one, what do you think of the name Rosa?" she asked, rubbing her hand over her stomach. The baby rolled, giving a hearty kick against Lunafreya's palm getting a grunt and a laugh. "Oof… that was an answer," she laughed. "What about Aurora?" she asked. There was a slight wiggle,

"That doesn't seem as enthusiastic." Noctis observed.

"Stella?" she asked, and got a similar response.

"Seems like she likes Rosa."

"Hmm… Rosa." she smiled.

* * *

I know the name thing may feel like they settled on it quickly, but two things. The first being this is actually how naming my daughter went. A name popped up, we loved it immediately, so it was a short conversation. Ironically we hadn't been able to come up with a girl's name to save our lives until we had the ultrasound that revealed that we were having a girl. The second reason is that it would just feel repetitive continuing the debate over and over.  
All in all I hope you enjoyed this short chapter and I hope I can get the next one up quickly to compensate for the length.


	23. Oh

Okay so once again I took a prolonged absence. First had a friend visit from 6 hours away and then recently had surgery and been recovering which makes typing hard but I'm finally back!

* * *

Lying in bed nearly all day for the past month was making Lunafreya even more tired. She yawned, Pryna doing the same when she felt the shifting on the mattress. Lunafreya rolled over to her other side as her hip and shoulder grew stiff from lying in one position for too long. It was growing more difficult to remain comfortable in bed. She flinched, placing her hands over her stomach as she felt a kick, smiling as she felt the movement beneath her palms..

"You always wake up once I begin to move." she said affectionately. She enjoyed the odd wiggling beneath her hands and watched the movements of her stomach through her nightgown. Clothing was another thing that was growing more difficult with time. She had gained so little weight she was her usual thin self with a protruding stomach, save for some swelling in her legs that had the medical staff encouraging her to elevate them as much as she could.

She found her tolerance for solitude was not what it once was. She used to spend weeks at a time with little contact with anyone outside of her notebook exchanges with Noctis, able to pass her time reading books or watching movies from the limited library afforded to her by Niflheim. A small yap drew her attention and she shifted her weight to hold herself up with one arm, and saw Umbra by the edge of the bed happily wagging his tail.

"Come here boy," She smiled. He bent low then leapt up, nearly falling back off the bed again but managed with some effort, and a tug from Lunafreya, to get up onto the bed. Pryna got up, the dogs wagging their tails and sniffing at each other while Lunafreya tried to pat both dogs, a smile on her face at their playful affection. Umbra was wearing his green bandana and a leatherbound notebook was tucked within it. She chuckled, reaching it to pull it out. Nocits knew how isolated she was feeling, and had taken it upon himself to bring back their old habit of sending messages to each other through their notebook, rather than through their phones, and it always had her smiling. Umbra curled up beside her, his nose resting on her thigh, Pryna curled next to him, both dogs' tails wagging lightly as she flipped through the pages. .

 _Luna_

 _Man these dignitaries are a bunch of pushy brats. Even Ignis is getting impatient. He might be tapping_ _ **do kindly bash me upon my head to end my misery**_ _in morse code. But I'm not smart enough to know morse code so can you translate this for me?_

There was a long string of the word _tap_ that had her giggling at the image of him sitting there in a meeting writing down _tap_ several dozen times.

 _You think if I hit him hard enough the vibration will go up my arm and knock me out too? Oh! What if you send me back this notebook and tell me you think you're in labor. That'll get me off the hook. I want to come in there and kiss you senseless but I'm stuck in here listening to these two trying to tell me why they don't think their settlement should pay the same tax rate as the rest of the country. Wish me luck, I'm expected to be a good host and feed these jackasses._

 _-Love you and I'd rather be there showing you just how much_

 _-Noct_

Lunafreya smiled and shook her head, the corner of her lip twitching in a half-smile as she imagined the ways she would want him to show her, heat coming to her cheeks to match that hitting between her legs and she blinked to pull her mind back away from fantasies. She leaned over and grunted with the effort, Umbra letting out a small whine at her discomfort.

"It's all right Umbra," she reassured. She pulled open her bedside table's drawer to get her pen. She had found one with purple ink, and it made Noctis far too happy to see the familiar color in their notebook once more.

 _Noct,_

 _Perhaps these delegates do deserve a bash upon the head themselves to spare Ignis the trouble of suffering it himself. We could likely coat the situation with an explanation of late-onset post-Blight madness. Though perhaps that would cause a nationwide panic to think Blight survivors could still suffer ill effects. Perhaps using the excuse of labor would not be unrealistic. They do say sex can help induce labor, and I am quite ready to be done with pregnancy so I can get to stand up from this bed for more than an hour a day. Perhaps you can think of some creative ways you'd like to accomplish this task?_

She wanted to leave a kiss in place of her name, but lacked the energy to climb from bed to get lipstick, her only lipstick, a vibrant red Aranea had purchased for her once in an attempt to get Lunafreya to be _less shy._ She carefully closed the book, her fingers brushing the spine before she tucked it into Umbra's kerchief and gave the dog a heavy rub behind the ears before watching him hop off the bed and trod away, Pryna giving a small protesting whine before lying back down on the foot of the bed.

Umbra trod down the hallway, head held high and tail swaying. He sniffed at the air. He could smell that most of the lunch activity had started to fade, the scents less intense. This would mean dinner was approaching, and lately Lunafreya had been even more forthcoming than ever about sharing her food with him and Pryna. He licked his nose and his tail began to wag harder at the thought.

He sniffed at the air as he walked by. Coffee, lemon cakes. Fresh. That would mean cake scraps for him once he reached Noctis's office. Maybe even some cream. The smell grew stronger, and he nosed at the door to the office. It was shut. But he nosed it again and it gave way, allowing him inside. He saw Noctis sitting behind his desk, upright and his expression placid. Unfamiliar men filled the other chairs. The coffee and cakes were atop his desk, and atop the lap of the humans in the room. Umbra trot across the room and gave a short yap when he was at Noctis's feet.

"Umbra," He smiled. "Excuse me gentleman." He reached down to remove the notebook from inside his kerchief. There were short polite humms from the others. His tail wagged enthusiastically again and he began to pant, bending down and looking up at Noctis reached to his desk. He set down a plate, pouring some of the cream from a small white pitcher onto it and set one of the lemon cakes down. The delightful smell almost blinded his senses until his teeth sank into the first bite of cake.

Noctis smiled as he read Lunafreya's letter, leaning over in his chair to scratch at Umbra's ear to thank him some more in addition to the treats. He felt heat rush to his cheeks with the bluntness of her words and hoped his beard hid most of it.

"How is our fair Queen?" one of the men asked.

"Concerned she might be having early contractions." Noctis spoke, voice catching for a moment. He didn't need to fake the gesture, a quick lightheadedness matching the heat rising in his face as he wondered how he'd feel when it was happening for real.

"Oh… Uhmmm…"

"I call this meeting adjourned. We can reconvene tomorrow should it prove that my beloved wife is not yet in labor. My advisor Scientia will be in touch." He stood up, gripping the notebook in his hand and came around his desk. The men he was talking too also rose, setting their mostly finished cups down on their chairs. They bowed, right themselves before speaking again.

"Good luck your majesty!" one put on a cheerful the smile, the other lifting his hand as if to reach out and pat his shoulder and dropped it instead. Noctis regretted his station at times, and wished the man had given him that small nervous _good luck_ gesture familiar to him from movies and television.

"I trust you can keep quiet in the matter. In the event it's a false alarm."

"Of course, yes. So the taxes?"

"I called this meeting adjourned as I want to attend to my pregnant wife."

"Might seem odd a talk on taxes ended due to the Queen going into labor?" Noctis's eyes grew wide, the heat painting his cheeks vanished white and he stared at the men hard, both of them dropping their rigid postures.

"My Kingsguard are outside the doors and will not take to a threat against the King and against Lucis." he ground out. He felt an echo of his father in the tenor of his voice, a hard controlled breath released through his nose. "Any talk of the Queen's labor in the media and I'll know which men violated privacy laws. She too has those rights as do all the citizens of Lucis. Are we clear?"

"Yes… your majesty." The first man bowed and ducked away. The second man who had remained silent since Umbra's appearance gave a curt nod, stepping back and tailed after his friend. The dog head-butted Noctis's leg, getting a pat on the head and scratching behind his ears.

"C'mon boy, let's go see Luna." He barked again and set off back towards Lunafreya's room. Noctis was slower than the dog who quickly vanished around the first turn. The day seated at his desk without much movement left his bad leg aching, a burning replacing the numbness that had settled in. But walking down the hall helped to bring sensation back and ease the ache. He reached bedroom and pushed the door completely open.

Pryna and Umbra were both on the foot of the bed sniffing and nuzzling each other, letting out short happy barks. Lunafreya pushed them off the bed with a gentle nudge, the dogs quickly jumped down before Pryna chased Umbra who ran from the room. Noctis couldn't help but notice that the black dog was running a lot slower than he was earlier.

"Hey Luna, how you feeling?" He asked, kicking off his shoes.

"Tired, a touch lonely." she admitted.

"Gave me the perfect excuse to get away from those… people." He grunted out the last word, gritting his teeth together until the muscles of his jaw stood out for a moment. He crossed the room to climb onto the bed, Lunafreya welcoming him with a kiss.

"And how's the little one?"

"She settled, was kicking me quite a bit." She shrugged. Noctis reached over and pressed a palm to her stomach, but grimaced after several seconds without any movement. "Told you, she settled."

"Mmm… she has the right idea." Noctis rolled over onto his back and folded his hands at his sides and closed his eyes, relishing in the oddly pleasurable throb in his feet from finally resting himself.

"I hope you don't plan to sleep so early this eve" She turned her head and gave him a wide-eyed smile. "I had… intentions… when I sent you that letter." Heat flashed over her face, and she bit down on her lip creating an unintended seductive smile that washed away Noctis's fatigue and he rolled onto his side.

"Intentions?" he inquired. Her bottom lip sucked deeper into her teeth leaving just a thin line while Lunafreya looked to him with knit brows.

"Intentions." She repeated. He marveled her for a moment, lying there on her side next to him. Her cheeks were flush, the color dusting her ears. Her pupils were wide but still left a rim of beautiful blue around them. Her lifted brow and bit lip were sending the blood rushing low. He noticed a few freckles tipping her shoulders and wondered when those appeared. He reached out to brush his fingers against her cheek, her eyes fluttered closed and tilted her head against his palm, her own heart racing. She licked her dry lips, and Noctis wondered not for the first time if she was merely being humble when she said she didn't know how to act seductive for him, because his pants were already snug, his mind racing as fast as his heart.

He shifted closer to her, wrapping arm under her ribs to pull her closer to him. Or as close as he could with her distended abdomen. He ended up having to angle himself to kiss her, quickly broken by the pair's giggling.

"I fear my intentions are not well acted out lying as such." she offered, again with that damnable beautiful half-smile biting down on her bottom lip, her brow drawing attention to her wide interested eyes.

"You sure about that? I mean, there _are_ benefits." Noctis countered, taking his free hand and cupping one of her breasts. "Have… your boob feels like they've gotten even bigger!" He marveled, and gave it a playful squeeze getting a yelp and a giggle from Lunafreya.

"I have noticed that…" she admitted. Noctis slid his hand out from under her side, stroking down her belly and pausing,

"I… I can't reach." he laughed, ducking his head and pressing his forehead against hers, his fingers stroking just below her navel miming what he wished he was doing to her. She laughed back, trying to shift her hips to help him ease that rising tension between her legs but her abdomen kept getting in the way. "Turn around." he instructed.

"So commanding."

"I _am_ King." he teased, giving her a cocky grin. She replied with an exaggerated eye roll, placing both her hands firmly on his chest, patting with one hand.

"You shall always be my scruffy Prince." she sighed and leaned in, having to tilt her waist back to be able to lean forward to kiss him. "Besides… if I turn around it makes it hard for me to reach," she whispered against his mouth. Their next kiss deepened, her tongue pressing against his bottom lip until she could taste him. Her hand reached between them, despite the awkward angle and stroked his erection through his pants. The fabric of his King's Raiment was thick, and he tried to rock his hips against her palm but the fabric rubbing against him was uncomfortable and he wanted to feel her fingers against him. He reached down to undo the buckle,

"This is a bit one-sided." he protested, mind quickly rushing from feeling her fingers around him to feeling her core around him. He hardly got his zipper undone before her hand slid beneath the band of his boxers and he hissed an intake of breath through his teeth. Her fingers were cold and he almost pulled her hand away, his hips jerking back and laughed, "Your hands!"

"Should I have sat on them?" she asked with a small frown, tucking one hand between her thigh and the bed, the other pressed against her leg trying to warm them up.

"It's like you stuck your hands in ice," he laughed.

"Sorry."

"Gotta balance it out," Noctis attempted to tease, tugging at the hem of her shirt to slide his hands beneath and cup her breasts, "cold?" he asked. He looked into her face and could tell that _no_. His hands were not cold.

"Perhaps I should turn around... " she murmured, "but I don't want your hands to move…"

"Sensitive?"

"Very. Care to do something about the state you've put me in?" she asked, eyes opening back up and looking up while keeping her chin tilted down.

"The state _you're_ in? You're the one sending me dirty letters." He argued back.

"Hmm… seems you've caused me to lose my senses." She lamented, sighing a bit at his ministrations. One hand cupped her breast, the other had his thumb pressed against her nipple rubbing in small circles sending chills running down her arms goosebumps lighting up on her flesh. Noctis wanted to rock his hips against her the angle made it impossible. She let out a small whimper when his hands retreated, but her eyes followed his hands gripping the sides of his suit pants to pull them off. A small smile pulled her lips and her eyes blinking rapidly as the heat between her legs grew to an incessant throb once she saw his erection freed from his clothing. He tilted his hips up to be able to throw the pants and boxers onto the floor beside him, and Lunafreya sat up quickly, reaching over him to start pushing his suit jacket.

"Let me sit up!" he laughed. She withdrew her hands so he could sit up into a kneeling position, and she reached back out to him and pressed her hands to his chest and slowly rolled them over his shoulders to push his jacket back. He dropped it off the bed like his pants and reached up to loosen his tie only to have Lunafreya bat at his wrist.

"Allow me." She insisted.

"And you call _me_ the commanding one?" he inquired.

"I _am_ Queen." she countered.

"But if I'm the scruffy Prince that makes you my Princess, not Queen."

"Oh hush, you're distracting." she protested, loosening his tie deftly and starting on the buttons of his vest. Noctis tried to work around her arms to tug at the hem of her nightshirt. The garment was almost comically oversized. He had it bunched up under her arms, laughing at how she stubbornly refused to pull her hands away to let him remove it completely until she finished unbuttoning his vest. With her hands down she finally let him pull off her shirt, but when she reached to push the vest off he stopped her by placing his hands on the sides of her face. He leaned close to capture her in another kiss, while his hands sliding over her cheeks momentarily playing with her earlobes getting a soft humm that he could feel vibrating against his lips. His arms wound around behind her, feeling for the hook of her bra. She rolled her shoulders and arched her back, nearly pushing him away with her stomach while he tried to push the garment off of her.

"Oh gods you'd think by now I'd be used to dealing with my belly." She laughed, righting herself and helping Noctis throw the bra aside. He cupped her breasts again and she bit her lip, glad that the cloth was gone and relishing again in his touch. Noctis's eyes were trained on her chest, letting out his own sigh. She worked around him to finish unbuttoning his shirt and together they pulled his final piece of clothing off before Noctis pushed Lunafreya down against the mattress, fingers hooking the waistband of her pants.

They were quick to join the rest of the fabric on the floor, and rather than turn her over onto her side Noctis moved so he was kneeling between Lunafreya's legs, his hands on her knees. He paused to enjoy the flushed look on her face, and was amused by the briefest moment of modesty as she tried to shut her knees only to part them and relax when Noctis applied the slightest pressure.

"I thought you wanted me on my side?" she asked.

"Changed my mind…" he mumbled, wanting some sexy quip but anything clever fell clear out of his head. He shifted backwards, feeling his toes reach the end of the bed before he leaned over to duck his head between Lunafreya's thighs. She pulled out the pillow from behind her head and arched her back to tuck it just under her buttock, helping to angle her hips to aide Noctis in his task. She was breathing quickly through her nose, nearly shivering with nervous anticipation before his tongue first brushed against her in a teasing lick. She gasped his name and arched her back further, settling back down with a wince from the sharp pain the motion put in her back. But the pain vanished nearly instantly when Noctis ducked back to follow up his tease with proper attention.

She reached her hands to brush his ears, lolling her head back against the mattress losing herself in the sparks of pleasure finally, _finally,_ easing that desperate tension that was overwhelming her senses. Her knees flexed, her heels digging into the bed as she tried to keep herself from pressing her knees against Noctis's head. She whispered his name when a new motion of his tongue made her eyes roll back even harder. He mumbled her name back and _godsdamned_ it felt amazing feeling his voice vibrate against her. Noctis could feel her pleasure mounting in how she started to rub at his ears rougher, the way she rolled her hips. Lunafreya was nearly expecting him to draw away suddenly to turn her onto her side. But he kept his hand on her hip, the other hand working with his tongue, his thumb rolling in the circles,and had her writhing with him.

He grunted, pressing his hips into the bed trying to ease his own tension while he kept his attention on her, wanting her to come apart beneath his lips and tongue, hoping to earn a rare genuine moan from his quiet princess. But he brought her to her climax, her breath catching and she tensed, writhing and breathing in that way that tipped him off, and he continued to roll his tongue against her until she settled back down against the bed and her desperate movements stilled.

"Gods Noct… that tongue of yours… works wonders... "

"Only in this room." He remarked back, then slapped his hand over his face as Lunafreya fell into a fit of giggles.

"Failing to satisfy your people?"

" _Our_ people." He corrected her, only making her laugh harder.

"Suggesting an orgy now? Certainly displaying a new side of yourself."

"I'd say you should sleep on the couch but I can't even _joke_ about that, maybe I should threaten to sleep on the couch." Noctis sat up, folding his arms. But Lunafreya's eyes trailed down between his legs and felt the blush return to her cheeks.

"I feel you only punish yourself with that threat." she cocked her head to the side before letting her eyes flick back up to capture his.

"So take care of that then cast me out to the couch?"

"You've been sentenced to a night of snuggles…" Noctis chuckled at the odd little smile on her face that almost left her cheeks puffed and her eyes wide. It washed the perpetual fatigue from her face. He smiled wider, leaning forward to kiss her.

"You're really cheesy" he teased as he broke away briefly, capturing her lips again. She laid back, Noctis following her tugging until he was on his hands and knees above her. His lips broke away from hers, coming down to the skin just below her ear and lightly sucked at the skin. She sighed, tilting her head away to give him better access. By now the ache in his groin was maddening, and he pushed on her shoulder urging her to lie on her side.

She turned onto her side as best she could, her stomach preventing her from turning too far. Noctis shifted so he was right behind her, wrapping an arm around her waist to tug her closer to him. A testing slide of his fingers confirmed she was still quite ready, and he bit down on her neck causing her to wince and gasp before settling behind her, taking himself in hand to guide himself into her.

He groaned and she sighed as they joined. She tried to shift to press her back against his chest, tilting her head back. He reached up with his hand to stroke her neck, his thumb flicking her earlobe as his hips began to thrust into her. Lunafreya tried to roll her hips with him, Noctis keeping her close against him. He grunted when he came, sending shivers through his limbs. As his motions stilled he tried to catch his breath.

"I should get up to use the restroom but I fear my legs are jelly," Lunafreya broke the silence with her praise, turning her head to smile at him.

"Maybe some of my magic is stored in my cock, lots of thunder in there?" He asked, and flinched at how suddenly she burst into laughter. She pressed both hands over her face, shoulders shaking as she fell into an absolute fit. "What?!"

"Your… cock, does indeed have magical abilities I was just not expecting that!" she managed to get out between giggles. "Your magic clearly extends well beyond evaporating daemons."

"Like turning my wife into a puddle? Or… y'know,"

"Don't you say it." She rolled her eyes at the pending dirty joke. "I think I need a nap now before dinner." She sighed, stretching her limbs.

"Yeah I could nap. Blow my princesses's mind with epic sex, a nap, then food? Sounds like the best night ever."

"Careful now you'll jinx us. Umbra will relieve himself in the corner, it'll start to show, then Gladiolus will break our door down." She quipped before shifting herself over to the edge of the bed, dangling her legs for a moment and flexing her toes. Most of her day had been in bed, and she wondered how angry her doctor would be if she knew about the activity level she engaged in that day. A small pang of guilt echoed off the back of her head with the thought, but her hormones and growing sense of loneliness that day had gotten the better of her senses. She used the bathroom and returned to bed, Noctis extending his hand to help her pull herself up.

Lunafreya redressed in her underwear and sleep clothes, much to the halfhearted whining protest of Noctis, before climbing back into the bed and turning immediately onto her side Sleeping on her back would send numbing shocks down her left leg and her stomach was an obvious problem leaving her sleeping positions rather limited. Some nights she swore she was hiccuping her own stomach acid forcing her to sleep propped up on as many pillows as she could get away with under her bedrest orders. Noctis had replaced his boxers while she was using the restroom, but she decided she lacked the energy to redress herself in any way. He scooted up behind her again, pulling her into his arms and kissing her neck.

"Love you." She whispered.

"Love you too."

It was about ninety minutes later when Lunafreya woke for the third time to roll over and shift. She felt a slight discomfort in her lower abdomen and let out an annoyed huff of breath that she couldn't hold her damn bladder for two hours without having to climb out of bed already. She groaned, rolling over and sitting up on the edge of the bed, dangling her legs and stretching her arms. She scooted off to the edge, rubbing her stomach wishing she could sleep as well as the baby in her stomach. She rubbed the heel of her hand to her eye, trying to blink away sleep. She walked to the toilet, pushing down her pants and undergarments to sit, realizing she felt slightly damp and looked down,

"Oh."


	24. Wake up

Lunafreya looked down at the mucous in her underwear, and suddenly her vague discomfort before falling asleep made sense. She cleansed herself, noticing she felt extra moisture. After washing her hands with some clumsiness managed to collect her box of sanitary napkins from the bathroom closet, selected a thin one, and sat back down on the toilet to place one in her underwear. _Oh gods. I'm in labor._ The thought struck her and she felt the heat in her face and she felt momentarily dizzy.

"A bit fed up with the cramped space?" she asked as she rubbed her distended abdomen. Rosa wiggled beneath her palm, woken up as Lunafreya had been.

She got up, holding her hand over her lower stomach as she felt a strong cramp. It didn't quite compare to her most intense menstrual cramps, but was significantly stronger than the strange tight feeling she had experienced periodically throughout the pregnancy. She let the cramping pass and returned to bed, drawing herself up into it and reached for her phone. She found her phone's stopwatch and set it down on her lap and reached for the television remote on her bedside table, grateful Noctis was a deep sleeper as she flicked it on, still tuned to the movie station she had fallen asleep to. _I think I'm in labor_. She thought again, trying to identify the movie on the screen when another cramp hit her stomach. She tapped the timer on her phone, and tapped again when it passed, and a third time to start timing the gap between contractions.

She recalled her most recent appointment with the obstetrician telling her about when labor started the importance of timing the duration of contractions, and the timing of them. _Oh my gods I'm in labor. It's real._ She looked at Nocits sleeping after glancing at the phone for a moment. Her contraction had lasted approximately thirty seconds. _Should I wake Noctis yet?_ She wondered, and decided to wait until she had information in case he had questions. _You're in labor Luna. For real._ She tried to focus on the movie, her foot wiggling in the sheets, finger tapping against her thigh next to her phone while she waited for the next contraction. It came, her finger tapping her phone initially missing the timer button at first but tapping again. _Okay fifteen minutes since the last one_. This one lasted thirty-three seconds assuming she was somewhat accurate with her button taps. _Labor. It's really happening._

"Noctis?" she inquired, but he didn't stir. She rolled her eyes at herself, reaching out to shake his shoulder while she said his name louder. "Noct?" He grunted, shifting under the sheets. She shook him again, and he rolled onto his back.

"Yeah?" He mumbled.

"I… I think I'm in labor. Not quite time to go rushing to the hospital, but I believe that I'm in labor." She explained.

"Okay." He mumbled again, rolling onto his side and shifted the blankets back up over his shoulder. "In labor… okay." He repeated in a sleepy slur. After a moment he sat upright in the bed, turning sharply in the bed to stare at her, " _What?!"_ he asked, eyes wide. His hair was a tousled mess, his beard kinked on the side of his jaw he had been lying on. "You're…?!"

"In labor. I think so, yes." She confirmed with a nod.

"Wh-why? When? How long? Should I get up?!" He asked in rapid succession, shifting himself in the bed.

"Slow down!" she urged, reaching out and pressing a hand against his arm. "I woke up and went to the bathroom to a small mess in my undergarments." she flushed, biting the corner of her lip.

"Wait your water broke?!" he asked, throwing the blankets off of himself.

"No!" she answered quickly, "Not _that_ big of a mess! Please Noct, settle." She asked with a nervous giggle, recalling his friends teasing that he would panic and warp out the nearest window without her in his rush to get to the hospital. He sat back against the pillows and tried to give her his attention. She could see the flush in his cheeks once she turned to tug the string on her lamp, reaching out to grip his wrist.

"I should be the one trying to keep _you_ calm" he admitted with a light chuckle.

"I have started contractions, I'm timing them so I can have answers when I call the doctor." she explained.

"You haven't called yet? How do you know it's labor?" he asked, still speaking too quickly. He hesitated after his question then shook his head, "stupid question." he mumbled. "Umm do you need something? Water? Can you have water?" He offered.

"Yes, I can." She answered. "Some water would be nice, and perhaps a light snack. I still feel well so I should eat to give myself some energy for what's to come." She answered him.

"Right. Umm… what time is it?" he asked, reaching for his own phone. He moved too quickly, knocking it onto the floor, bumping his lamp and reaching for it with a curse to keep it from falling to the floor as well.

"Three twenty-five AM." She answered.

"Shit no wonder I'm groggy." He replied. He slid out of bed, bending down to pick up his phone, dropping it again when he tried to shove it into a pocket, forgetting he had fallen asleep nude. Another curse and he bent down, setting the phone onto the bedside table he crossed the room to the bureau, pulling out sweatpants and a tee-shirt to make himself decent for a trek to the kitchen. "Thought you were joking last night about sex helping kick-start labor." He teased her when he came over to her side of the bed.

"I was!" She answered, her brows coming up. He chuckled, leaning over her to give her a peck on the lips.

"Craving anything in particular?" he asked. She shook her head, not feeling hungry in all honesty but knew she needed to fuel herself for what lay ahead.

"Perhaps oatmeal, fruit, and some juice?" she asked. He nodded, giving her another kiss.

"Whatever my Queen and Princess desire." he answered, stroking her stomach with his hand. She winced, causing him to retract his hand and look at her with wide eyes. She was quick to shake her head,

"Not you. Next contraction." she answered while tapping at her phone. Seventeen minutes since the last one. Noctis stayed locked to his spot, his brows close together and he reached to squeeze her hand, only settling when she told him the contraction had passed. _Twenty nine seconds._ "My hand." she said with a smile, Nocits realizing how tightly he had gripped her.

"Oh right. Guess you'll be getting revenge on me soon enough though right?" he chuckled again, his voice quivering slightly. He cleared his throat and drew back. "Be right back with food." he promised. She nodded with a smile and watched him rush from the room. She hitched her pillows up behind her back. The pile had grown significantly during her pregnancy between needing to sit upright for her heartburn, and her discomfort with being placed on bedrest; the pillows made a comfortable way for her to sit upright against the headboard and again tried to focus her attention on the television.

She didn't recognize the movie, and found it hard to keep her attention on something unfamiliar halfway though. She glanced down at the phone, wondering if she should text Aranea and Crowe. She had promised to inform them both as soon as she went into labor, but hadn't expected that to occur at such an ungodsly hour. She picked up the remote, starting to flick channels though she didn't expect much to be broadcasting in the middle of the night. To her surprise another channel was playing a movie, a comedy Crowe had insisted she watch.

Two contractions later, no change in their pattern, and she felt her phone buzz. She looked at it, seeing a text message from Prompto.

 _[rec][Prompto] Did he warp out the window yet?_

She laughed, sure now that bothering her friends in the middle of the night with the news would be a mild inconvenience at worst.

 _[sent][Prompto] Nearly_. She typed back before bringing up her recents to disturb Aranea first,

 _[sent][Aranea]_ _As promised, here I am to send you in a panic with the news my labor has started. Still at home, so I don't want to catch on the news shortly that a dragoon was seen vaulting over the city to the hospital. I'll keep you posted_.

 _[sent][Crowe]_ _Your charges are about to make your life difficult by no longer sharing one body. I'm in labor. Though settle, quite early I suspect._ She typed to her shield.

 _[rec][Gladiolus]_ _He warp through the walls and half the city yet?_ Lunafreya laughed, now wondering when the incoming text from Ignis would arrive, curious which would wake him first. An excited Aranea, or a text from Noctis.

 _[sent][Gladiolus] Not yet. Best place a trampoline beneath our window._

A new contraction had her rubbing her stomach and trying to get an internal sense of time while she switched from her text messages back to her stopwatch. Thirteen minutes since the last contraction, but its length was harder to gauge and this one was a bit more intense than the previous. Rosa wiggled about, a visible lump appearing as she kicked with the completion of the contraction.

"I don't imagine this is very pleasant for you either my little one." She spoke quietly. Noctis returned shortly after, pushing one of the kitchen's small carts with their breakfast.

"A touch overboard?" She gestured at the large array on the cart.

"You said you'll need your energy for the rest of the day." He replied. He set the cart beside his side of the bed and climbed up next to her, "more contractions?" he asked, seeing the way she winced slightly and rubbed at her stomach. She nodded,

"Same pattern." She nodded back, letting out a sigh after it finished. He handed her a bowl of oatmeal with berries, glass of juice that she set on her bedside table, and a mug of her favorite tea that she set beside the juice.

"I also brought you some toast, they made a fresh loaf last night."

"Neb made bread? Oh he always makes the best, please hand me a piece." He smiled and handed it to her, and started to eat their early meal. "Gladio is heading over. He'll probably go kick Crowe's door in first."

"I wonder if she's awake. I sent a text to Aranea and Crowe as I had promised them."

"Hey it's their job right?" Noctis joked.

"The real reason they bear a friendship with us. We sign their paycheck." She rolled her eyes and bit into the toast. "Neb really does make the best bread." she mumbled through her mouthful. They talked and ate, only pausing when the next contraction hit. Lunafreya winced again, and Noctis frowned, swallowing his mouthful to scooch closer to her and rub her back.

"They hurt?" He asked her, then crossed his brows and shook his head. "Stupid question. Of course they hurt. It's labor…." He shoved more food into his mouth to keep himself from asking more stupid questions while Lunafreya giggled through the end of her contraction. Shortly before they finished eating Noctis received a text from Gladiolus stating they were in the Royal Wing of the Citadel. Lunafreya heard her phone buzz and sure it was Crowe stating the same. Noctis answered to assure them they were both dressed.

 _[rec][Gladioilus] You sure? Seen enough of your pale gyrating ass for a lifetime._ The Shield typed back to his charge.

"We're both dressed you jackass!" Noctis shouted at their doors. The doors opened and Gladiolus and Crowe came in. Both had gotten themselves into their official uniforms, the fatigue was clear on their faces, each carrying a travel mug filled with coffee.

"Go time?" Crowe asked.

"Not quite. Didn't expect you to come rushing to the wing…" Lunafreya answered her, feeling bad their Shields were dragged from bed so early.

"Never know when it'll be go time. Can't have my charge in labor waiting around for her Shield to drag her tired ass out of bed before going to the hospital." Crowe shrugged.

"I think I just panicked and overreacted" Gladiolus admitted. "Half expected to get in here to find Noctis already halfway across Insomnia and you screaming your head off."

"I dunno, I can't picture her screaming." Crowe argued, cocking her head slightly and clucked her tongue. "Probably one of those weird chicks who can meditate the pain away or some shit."

"I'm still _human_!" Lunafreya countered. Another contraction started and she winced, rubbing her stomach and letting out a deep breath through it. "This is less than comfortable."

"See what I mean. Sittin there in fuckin' labor saying _less than comfortable._ Not so sure you're human. Alien maybe?" She asked, slapping Gladiolus's arm with the back of her hand.

"Maybe Shiva herself sneezed her out or something. She always _did_ have a weird resistance to the cold."

"I'm from Tenebrae! Have you ever endured one of our winters? You become quite adapt to the cold. It's your insufferable summers that are a trial." Lunafreya shot back to them, sitting back against her mound of pillows.

"Oh man remember how damn hot it was up on Ravatogh?"

"Thought I was going to combust into flames." Lunafreya concurred.

"Wait a second. Are you seriously just talking through contractions?" Crowe asked.

"I suspect they shall get significantly worse as the day progresses as of now they are more akin to severe menstrual cramps." Lunafreya argued.

"You guys eat before you got here?" Noctis asked, cutting off the potential for another debate about Lunafreya qualifying as human or not.

"Yeah but could always eat again." Gladiolus answered, and Crowe just shook her head _no_. Noctis made another trip to the kitchen, glad for an outlet for his nervous energy even though all he could picture the entire time he was absent from the room was that Lunafreya's labor would progress suddenly and significantly meaning he would miss the birth of his daughter. He returned with the rolling tray with eggs, bacon, and toast for the Shields as well as a pitcher of coffee.

Back in the bedroom he saw Lunafreya shifted in the bed so Crowe could fit behind her and was rubbing at her lower back. Noctis glanced over at Gladiolus who didn't seem to see the confused expression on his face, tucking into the food to pile up some eggs and bacon on top of toast, shoving the food into his mouth.

"Starting with a backache." Lunafreya explained when she brought her head back up and saw the way Noctis was looking at her.

"Oh. Do you umm need anything?" he asked, tempted to shoo Crowe away so he could take her place.

"I would do almost anything for a hot pack but Crowe looked it up on her phone a hot back in labor is a bad idea." She sighed, shoulders dropping while she pouted.

"Pain getting stronger?" Nocits asked.

"Not particularly. Just adding a new location to it. I feel as though I have the worst backache of my life. Rather sudden." She explained. Crowe shifted off the bed to get herself some food before Gladiolus finished all of it, and Lunafreya laid back against her pillows and let out a slow nasal exhale. Noctis climbed up on the bed and scoot so he was right next to her, reaching over to squeeze her hand.

"Maybe it's time to call the doctor?" Noctis suggested.

"I'd be waking them up at quite the hour." She argued.

"That's what they have on-call docs for. Also, you're the fuckin' _Queen of Lucis_ and _The Oracle_ to just sprinkle a little sugar on top. I think they can put up with waking up for you of all people." Crowe threw her palms up, staring at Lunafreya with her arms out.

"She's got a point." She made the call, face pink as she asked her friends to step outside the door a moment to allot her a minute of privacy. She answered the doctor's questions, assured the hospital was going to be ready to receive her at any time, offering to send an ambulance with a midwife aboard to get her immediately. Assuring the doctor that such measures were unnecessary and would only draw excessive attention. She seemed satisfied to learn she would be escorted by the King, and both royal Shields, and agreed to come to the hospital immediately.

"Didn't the Queens of old like, give birth in their own rooms?" Gladiolus asked once brought up to speed after re-entering the bedroom.

"Isn't that why women lived to the ripe old age of died in childbirth back then?" Crowe quipped.

"I had the option at first, but the pregnancy has left me with little energy and they placed me on bedrest. They determined that due to risks going to the hospital is the safest option."

"Leave it to Luna to answer a rhetorical question with a graceful dance of words." Crowe teased, sitting on the end of the bed. "So that mean we're getting you up to the hospital now?"

"The doctor is requesting we go in immediately or she's sending an ambulance."

"Well can't blame her. I wouldn't want to be the doctor responsible for this." Lunafreya's face scrunched and she rubbed at her belly as another contraction started, gasping when it hit its peak.

"Oh it hurts more in the back than anything." She whined with a high-pitched hitch in her voice.

"Well all the more reason to get you to the hospital maybe they can do something about the pain." Crowe waved her hand in invitation to Lunafreya, who nodded. She reached below the blankets to make sure her nightgown was pulled down past her waist before sliding herself out of the blankets and to the edge of the bed. Sure that whatever she wore wouldn't matter once she arrived at the hospital she picked a simplistic maternity dress from the wardrobe and let herself into the bathroom to change.

"Surprised you're in one piece." Gladiolus remarked to Noctis once Lunafreya was in the bathroom.

"The panic is there. Just hasn't figured out how it's gonna come out yet." Noctis answered. "Should I be in there helping her get dressed?"

"She's been dressing herself just fine for nine months pretty sure she can handle one more time." Gladiolus offered, patting his shoulder. "Gonna be a dad. Should get you a pack of cigars for you to curl your lip at and a bottle of whiskey you'll down in a gulp." He laughed.

"Oh man I should have thought of that." Crowe huffed, hands on her hips. "All I thought of was stuffing my pockets with Luna's favorite candy. What do women do to celebrate shoving a watermelon out their hooch?" she crossed her arms and shifted her weight.

"Snuggle with the baby they just grew for damn-near a year?" Gladiolus offered back.

"Okay valid." Crowe acknowledged.

"It's the helpless dad who needs booze after his involvement ended after a night of fun. Watch his wife in horrible pain, screaming, sweating, doctors and nurses everywhere, oh man." Gladiolus elaborated.

"Thanks guys. Making me feel _real_ great!" Noctis shouted to them, crossing his arms and bouncing on his feet. "Should I get the car started? No… I shouldn't really go anywhere right now. Gladiolus, can you start the car?" Noctis asked, tapping at his pajama pants for his keys before he made a face and dropped his arms.

"Where do you keep the keys?"

"Umm up on the shelf next to the door." Noctis gestured, avoiding eye contact and pretending not to notice the way Crowe snickered at him. Gladiolus grabbed the keys and left, waving his phone in the air as he left the other two nodding. Lunafreya emerged from the bathroom shortly after, carrying her nightclothes to the laundry basket, shaking her head at the two as they offered to take the laundry for her.

"I should tell my dad." Noctis blurted to her.

"It's quite early. Perhaps wait until we're at the hospital?" She suggested.

"I dunno. I should at least text him or call him so he knows." Lunafreya shook her head again,

"I'm quite early in my labor We're likely being rushed to the hospital simply due to who I am." She countered, though admittedly part of her hesitation was the thought of so many surrounding her already. "We should head to the car, speaking of such."

"Want me to carry you?" Noctis offered. Lunafreya could feel the ache in her limbs, chest tight as she felt short of breath already from the minimal activity. She pondered it for a moment before shaking her head _no_ again, but knew she would be wobbling on her feet before they reached the front door. She only hoped the early hour would mean the staff was at a minimum and at worst a single digit number of guards would see her so infirm.

"I should be okay." She assured with hesitation in her voice. She winced again, both hands reaching behind her and she gasped, face scrunching together.

"They're getting closer together." Noctis observed. Lunafreya let out a long slow breath, nodding in agreement. "We should get going." he suggested.

"Yes." She moved to picked up the small bag they had packed some prior in anticipation of the time spent in the hospital, filled with toiletries, loose comfortable clothing and books; but Crowe barked for her to stop and picked it up herself.

"You're in _labor_. Let us do something for you." She insisted. Lunafreya responded with a sheepish smile and they started to walk from the bedroom. The contractions were sappign more of her energy than she expected, and by the time they reached the elevator to bring them to the main floor of the Citadel she was leaning her weight against Noctis, alternating between trying to rub at her lower back and place her hands over her stomach to soothe the movement in her belly.

"You okay?" Noctis asked. Lunafreya nodded, but leaned harder against him as the contraction wore away, leaving her breathing harder than before.

"No arguing." He insisted as he picked her up in his arms. She hooked an arm around his neck, feeling a flush spread across her face as he carried her the rest of the way to the Regalia. The pre-dawn hours of early spring was still quite cold, but the inside of the car was already warm Gladiolus having had the foresight to crank the heat. Crowe sat in the passenger seat, Noctis in the back with Lunafreya.

A buzz in her pocket reminded Lunafreya that she hadn't checked her phone in some time, and saw a missed message.

 _[rec][Aranea] Go time huh?_

* * *

Okay so. Noctis's reaction here is based off my own mister's reaction to when I went into labor. I had been working and having contractions at work (only realized it in hindsight) came home went to bed pretty late. Woke up a few hours later to pee, went to the bathroom and had an "oh" moment of my own. Woke the mister up right away and he did the "oh okay" and rolled over thing before WHAT?! it was quite comical.


	25. Little One

When it was decided it was safest for the Queen to deliver the heir in the hospital, there was a terrific amount of discussion over specificities of the birth plan. It had all felt chaotically out of her own hands. And Noctis was caught up in the whirlwind of it all as well. He felt like there was little more he could do than squeeze her hand, feed her ice chips, and make bad jokes. Lunafreya was curled up on her side, arms wrapped around her middle with her knees bent and drawn in. One hand was curled around the blanket, and the other around Noctis's hand. In the wastebasket that had been shoved to close to the doorway were three blue vomit bags filled with her previous meal, and any bile her stomach managed to accumulate between vomiting. But the medicine a nurse had injected into her IV had finally stopped the vomiting and periodic doses prevented it from returning. But with the nausea settled the cramping from the vomiting vanished and replaced by ever-strengthening contractions.

" _That's_ the finger-breaking I was warned about!" Noctis curled the fingers on his free hand, fingertips turning red in Lunafreya's grip. She let out a hard huff of air and a smile pulled at the corner of her lips.

"Gods I just want to _breathe_ for a moment…" she panted for breath and relaxed her grip onto Noctis's hand. Her hair was sticking to her brow and Noctis reached down to push some hair behind her ear. Her chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath. But she felt like she had only just taken in her first true gulps of air before she could feel the tightness start again. She whimpered but it caught in her throat as it rapidly shifted into the intense pain. Her fingers curled around Noctis's and the bed linens, nails digging hard into the starchy fabric of the sheets.

"Need me to ask the nurse for more medicine?" Noctis asked. She could hear the quiver in his voice, and in the way he pressed his thumb into the back of her hand rubbing rough small circles into it.

"Didn't she give me some…. A few moments… ago…?" she asked him as the contraction ended and once again she tried to catch her breath.

"That was… four-ish hours ago." Noctis answered.

"It was? I'm losing track of time." she said.

"I'll ring the bell for you." He reached with his free hand and pushed the small red button at the end of the white cord. She nodded in answer, brushing some hair from her forehead and rolling onto her back to change positions. It lasted only a moment before she turned back up on her side again and groaned with the next contraction. The nurse appeared in the room just at that contraction ended.

"Can I help you dear?" she asked, coming up to the bedside.

"Please, may I have something for pain?" Lunafreya asked. "Perhaps a hot pack for my back too? It seems a lot of the pain is in my back." The nurse glanced at her watch and then back up.

"I…" A hesitation in her voice. "I can't get you a hot pack. But we have warm blankets, might be better than nothing. And I can give you another dose of morphine." She answered. Lunafreya nodded, a grunt cutting off her breath as she curled in on herself once more. The nurse left the room, and Noctis clasped both hands around Lunafreya's. He was rubbing her hand, though she only waxed and waned into awareness of it as her contractions send her mind buzzing and she felt as though her brain were a radio station tuned to static with the volume dialed all the way up. The pressure between her legs was growing, leaving even the gaps between contractions near unbearable.

The nurse came back into the room, and Lunafreya tried to look up at her but her eyes squinted shut again. She couldn't hear the woman's footsteps over her own ragged breathing, but heard her voice as she placed a warm palm against her arm. Something warm pressed against her back,

"It's not a hot pack but it might help."

"Thank you."

"I have the morphine too. Big pinch time" Lunafreya nodded at the nurse and turned up higher on her side, pulling her hospital gown to the side. She winced with said big pinch and the nurse pulled her gown back over her once she was done injecting the medicine into the muscle of her buttock. She wasn't sure how long it was of rolling from side-to-side in the bed, but she was eventually able to lie on her back, the pain reduced from a loud ten to a tolerable-by-comparison seven. She stared up at the ceiling for a moment, and remembered that the television in her hospital room was on.

"Is something good playing?" She asked, swallowing hoping that it would help the croaky quality of her voice.

"Some cooking competition. I can change it." He answered. She shook her head, placing both hands over her abdomen and rubbing at it. Her face tightened and she felt an ache behind her ears. The warm blanket had cooled off long ago and the debate in her mind ended as the contraction did, reaching out with a hand to push the call button to ask for another, surprised how well a warm blanket could soothe that screaming pain in her back. "Something up?" she turned her head and shrugged a shoulder.

"My back. After that shot it hurts worse than the contractions do."

"Well turn up on your side again?" he suggested.

"Hips are getting achy from that."

"Just trust me." he insisted. She grunted with the effort of turning over onto her side. She remembered when Noctis told her that it had been four hours since the previous injection, and one episode of that cooking competition told her it had been another half-hour, but aside from that she had lost her grip on time completely. Her limbs felt heavy, her eyes too. She turned up onto her side as asked and settled with a hard huff of breath. She felt a pressure against her back as Noctis began to rub his thumbs against her aching muscles.

"Oh… that… that feels good." She mumbled. She closed her eyes in answer to the heaviness in them. She took in a long breath and let it out in a heavy sigh.

"Told you to trust me."

"Hmm… you'd think that I would learn." she answered back. "My throat is so dry." she swallowed again at the continued croak in her voice.

"I can go get you some ice chips."

"That requires…" her voice cut off with a grunt as she scrunched her face, nails digging into the bed.

"You got this." he whispered to her, bending down to pick up one of her hands. He had been whispering, and at times crying, words of encouragement to her. As the contraction reached its peak she started wondering just how naive and stupid she was for refusing the epidural when they first offered it and was starting to give serious consideration to reversing her initial decision.

"Your hands had a job." she tried to smirk at him with an expression that she thought was cheeky. He chuckled, and returned to rubbing the ache in her back. The nurse entered the room, smiling and cheerfully acknowledging Lunafreya's request for a new warm blanket. Noctis rubbed at her back, and she sighed.

"We should check how dilated you are." The nurse suggested upon her return. Lunafreya nodded, tucking the blanket behind her back and rolled onto it. She bent her knees and parted them to allow the nurse to add to the chorus of discomfort with a pair of gloved lubed fingers. "Nine centimeters! Almost there!"

"Can I do anything in particular to speed this up?" She asked.

"Just keeping hanging in there for a little bit longer. You're doing great."

"Thrashing about in this bed, likely fracturing the fingers of my husband, while bothering you every several minutes for hot blankets?" she asked.

"You're in _labor_ dear, perfectly normal. I'd understand if you roided-out and threw the hospital bed out the window. Though, please don't actually do that. Whole _lot_ of paperwork." she mimed writing on her palm. Lunafreya laughed,

"I shall try to limit myself to defenestrating only the chair."

"Hey! Where will I sit if you do that?" Noctis asked.

"Your husband has a point." The nurse nodded at them.

"Oh blast it, I fear my plans have collapsed." She took a long deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to keep her mind focused on her breathing not on the searing breath-halting pain. And was unsuccessful. Noctis fell back into gripping her hand.

"I should stay, at this point. If you're at nine." The nurse offered as Lunafreya relaxed her body. She just nodded, unsure what other answer could be provided. She knew that trying to shoo her away would accomplish little. She wasn't a fool. Even in her static-brained state she knew that the hospital was likely absolutely buzzing with the presence of their King and Queen being here to bear forth the heir to the Lucian throne.

She wondered what it may have been like, instead of being in the hospital to be able to thrash about in her own large comfortable bed. Probably surrounded by every midwife in the nation. The daydream melted away as she thought about what a show it must have been. With every servant in the Citadel milling about their bedroom, her body a display for all to see. A small price to pay to bring the heir safely into the world.

"Almost there Rosa." She whispered, stroking at her stomach. Her muscles ached, and she felt heavy. Even whispering she could feel again that scratch in her throat. "I'm quite thirsty… perhaps I could have some water?" she asked.

"Umm I'm sorry. Only ice chips until after the delivery." The nurse answered. Lunafreya could hear the hesitation in her voice again as she wanted to use a title or a proper address. But an entire morning of being called _Your Majesty_ had her finally breaking propriety and pleading to stop being called such.

"Do some still linger?" she asked, nodding at her bedside table.

"Sorry… just melted water. I'll go get some." Noctis offered.

"I'll go get it, you stay here with her Your Majesty." The nurse answered.

"You actually talk them into cutting it out with the titles for _you._ " Noctis said. Lunafreya wrinkled her nose and shook her head at him.

"You are _King_ Noctis."

"I dunno, I thought I was your scruffy Prince?" She reached out and swatted at his arm getting a chuckle from him.

"I shall keep your secret. Can't have the nation crumbling should they find out."

"Be ousted from the throne by your first-born the moment she takes breath?" He asked. Lunafreya laughed, the sound cut off by the next contraction starting. The nurse returned with the fresh cup of ice and placed it on the bedside table.

"Oh please help me with an ice chip." She asked Noctis. He reached over for the cup with the tiny white spoon in it. She sat herself up, or rather her head and shoulders before she nearly collapsed back against the bed. Those two stupid little ice chips felt like the nectar of of the gods on her tongue. Then she remembered what the gods were _actually_ like and scratched the mental metaphor. As she searched the static of her brain for a proper one she gave up, dropping back against the bed and started to pant for air from the effort of lifting half her upper body.

Once settled and breathing half-normal again the nurse asked Lunafreya questions about the pain, her back, pressure. And she answered her, acutely aware of the increasing pressure. Another exam and the nurse left the room, returning with three others.

"Your Majesty, it's time to start pushing!" The doctor clapped her hands together and Lunafreya nodded at her. She was waiting for her brain to catch up with the words, but the head of the bed was raised slightly, the bottom of the bed dropped down and she thought for a moment she was going to fall off the now drastically shortened bed. She was instructed to bring her knees up and out and to hug them tightly. She grunted with a contraction, and tried to focus as the doctor continued telling her what to do. Noctis squeezed her hand, and if she had any energy left she might have felt a hint of embarrassment at so many people standing there staring between her legs. Instructions about hugging her legs and about counting. But it was so _damned hard_ to focus while her abdomen was setting itself on fire.

"On the next contraction, okay?" A nurse repeated. She nodded, swallowing hard and suddenly wishing she had chewed on more of that ice.

"Oh gods… you got this, okay, you got this. You're _so, damned, strong._ " Noctis was brushing hair away from her forehead.

Both her arms were hooked around her thighs, pulling her knees up towards her chest. Breathe in, push, hold for ten seconds, exhale. Time it with the contraction. Again. Again. Everything became a hazy blur of pain, heat, and pressure. She was aware of Noctis to her left, and the doctor giving instructions from between her knees. But her own body was demanding she _push._ Just _push_.So she pushed, and she breathed, and she counted. The brushes against her shoulder or pushing hair away from her face felt distant, as though she was recalling a memory rather than feeling it.

"She's right here!" The doctor encouraged as Lunafreya panted for breath from the last set of pushing. She nodded, words lost somewhere in the static of her brain. She wanted to push and sleep and scream and throw up on herself. She took in a breath and hugged her knees tighter and pushed. She felt a flash of heat, and a new sharp pain between her legs. "Almost there!" the doctor encouraged. Another push and another flash of intense heat and there was a sudden _relief of the pressure._ "She's out!" the doctor proclaimed. Lunafreya relaxed her legs out, both her arms dropping beside her in the bed. Her chest heaved as she tried to collect her breath and looked between her knees to see the small ball of pink and red.

"Is she breathing?" Lunafreya asked.

"She's breathing!" The doctor confirmed fast enough that Lunafreya didn't have time to become anxious. A high-pitched cry agreed and Lunafreya felt a sob come out of her throat between breaths. "You want to hold her?" Lunafreya held out her arms in answer to the question, and vaguely remembered the interview upon admission to the hospital about doing _skin to skin_ post-delivery. She tried to fuss with her hospital gown, but her hands were trembling her eyes were blurred and her whole damn body felt just so _heavy_.

"Rosa…" Lunafreya managed, winding her arms around the naked wet bundle the doctor was helping to hold against her chest. "Oh my sweet little one, how I love you." she murmured. Her newborn wasn't close enough for her to yet press a kiss to her forehead; or she lacked the energy to sit her head up enough to reach, she was unsure.

"Gods you did it Luna… you did wonderful! You both did! Gods I love you… and I love her. I'm so proud of you Rosa!" Noctis's words were slurred by abject sobbing. He pressed his head against her shoulder, one hand gripping her shirt, the other reaching out to pet Rosa's thick black hair. "Well now we know why your mom had such bad heartburn." he laughed. Lunafreya

"Do you want to cut the cord?" Noctis looked back up to the bustling staff. "Uhh…" he glanced between Lunafreya and the doctor, realizing this one little detail was something they never discussed. He glanced to where Rosa was still connected to her mother and winced at the blue jelly cord and grimaced.

"Yeah." He answered.

"You sound unsure." The doctor said as she carefully reached for Rosa. "I'll return her momentarily my dear, I just need to have the cord cut so we can get her weighed and cleaned up. We still need to deliver the afterbirth."

"I'm not done?" Lunafreya asked, squinting her eyes and _Gods_ she just wanted to hold her infant to her chest and sleep the next month away. Noctis took a few steps sideways and held his hand out for the scissors. Lunafreya tried to keep her blurry focus between her knees to watch this moment. The nurse had placed two clamps on the cord and the doctor gestured where to cut. Noctis reached out, and even through the static in her brain she noticed his hesitation and tried to make a mental note to tease him about it later. But with the cord cut Rosa was whisked out of sight, heartily crying and Lunafreya tried to just think of that sound as proof that the precious girl growing in her belly had come forth healthy.

Back to the routine of hugging her knees and pushing. This time accompanied by the doctor rubbing her lower abdomen. She was unsure why she needed that hard pressing on her pained belly.

"Everything okay?" Noctis asked and Lunafreya wanted to sit up to see what she was missing.

"A bit of bleeding, nothing to worry about yet." The doctor answered. Too tired to protest or inquire further Lunafreya resumed following the pattern of breathe, hold, push, daydream about being _finished_ and holding the life she just worked so hard to bring forth.

"Your Majesty?" A nurse asked. Lunafreya glanced over and saw that Rosa, her precious little Rosa, had been swaddled in one of those iconic white blankets with the pink and blue stripe.

"She's so tiny…" he remarked, holding his arms out. "I think I got her… I got her?" he asked, hugging her to his chest.

"Three-point-two kilograms."

"That's all? Felt as though I was carrying five kilograms and delivered twelve!" Lunafreya grunted out just before the doctor instructed her to push again. That same damned heat between her legs.

"There we go." The doctor said and dropped something that sounded heavy and wet into a basin. "Now you're going to feel a pinch and some burning. You got a small tear I need to give you a couple stitches." A pinch and burn that felt like _nothing_ compared to the rest of the day, some odd pressure and pulling, and finally, _finally_ she was able to drop her legs. Some clicking and she felt the lower part of the bed get clicked back into place.

"Let me hold her." She asked.

"I've been hogging you, I guess it's only fair I give you back to the one who's had you all to herself for nine whole months."

"Ten." Lunafreya clarified with a smirk. Noctis chuckled, and sniffed. He carefully placed Rosa against his wife's chest.

"Hi my little Rosa… I'm sure this was quite scary and you're wondering about this bright cold place. But I'll keep you close and warm." Rosa's cries settled down, small hands curled within her swaddle and her eyes blinked slowly, giving her mother a glimpse of the pale blue before they closed. Lunafreya smiled, laying her head back and felt her eyes growing heavy.

"I'll hold her nice and close. You get some sleep, you both need it." Noctis whispered and bent down to kiss her forehead.

"I need a shower."

"You need sleep more."

"Hmm… I think we all do."

"Here's the bassinet." A nurse offered, pushing a tall cart over, on top which was a clear plastic bassinet.

"I want to hold her longer. For ten months my wife got to be with Rosa every day. I want to hold her a little longer before I take a nap."

"She's so adorable…" Lunafreya could hear the slur in her voice and as the static in her brain dialed down the pain started to ease just enough that the desperate call of sleep pulled her eyelids closed. She felt a warm pressure against her forehead and a smile pulled at her lips.

"I love you Luna… and our perfect little Rosa." He sniffed again.

"I love you both, oh so much."

* * *

I really struggled with this ending, so I hope you enjoy it. The odd pacing of the chapter was intentional sicne most of the focus is on Luna and her brain is so hazy because, wel, labor.

But this story has finally reached its conclusion. This pointless happy collection of fluff (and smut). It was a lot of fun to write. I may eventually take up another one-shot series about various points of parenthood. Of the first night home "OH GOD WHO LET ME TAKE THIS INFANT HOME?!" moments, of night feedings of cuddles sleep deprivision and crying. I really hope you enjoyed this series though I'm fairly certain my poor update schedule has lost me almost all my readers, but thank you all of who supported this story!


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